CINCINNATI — A man is dead after a semi-truck crash and fire under an overpass in downtown Cincinnati near Heritage Bank Center, Assistant Fire Chief Matt Flagler said.
Flagler said just before 7 p.m., they received multiple phone calls about a large semi-truck fire. Multiple calls gave different locations for the fire, leading to a confusing scene and delayed response, Flagler said. Crews eventually found the semi-truck on northbound I-71 near the Lytle Tunnel, he said.
The crash did not involve any other vehicles, and Flagler said the semi-truck driver crashed into the wall of the tunnel. The driver was trapped in the cab of the semi-truck, leading to crews attempting to rescue and remove him.
Once the man was removed from the cab, he was pronounced dead at the scene, Flagler said. The man has not been identified.
Crews were able to put out the fire, which was contained to mostly the cab of the semi-truck and the front of the trailer. There were no hazardous materials in the trailer, but the fire caused diesel fuel to spill in the roadway, Flagler said.
Smoke from the flames could be seen throughout downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Flagler also said that the beams of the overpass were damaged in the fire, and while they do not know the exact extent, he said it was not as extensive as the Big Mac Bridge fire in 2024. He said ODOT and a bridge engineer are headed to the scene.
Police said the fire also caused multiple roadways to be shut down. According to the Cincinnati Fire Department, northbound I-71 is shut down at the Brent Spence Bridge, southbound I-71 is shut down at Fort Washington Way and eastbound Columbia Parkway is closed due to the fire. The Ohio Department of Transportation said they're diverting traffic to I-75 North.
Flagler said they intend for some of the closures, specifically the I-71 closures, to last hours into Sunday night.
