Columbus police are searching for the driver of a pickup that left the scene of a crash after colliding with a tanker truck that caught fire, injuring one and shutting both directions of Interstate 270 on the afternoon of June 22 on the Northeast Side.
The driver of the black pickup lost control on the ramp from southbound Interstate 270 to eastbound State Route 161 at 1:39 p.m., Columbus police said in a statement.
The pickup slammed into a tanker truck hauling fuel and pushed it into a guardrail, causing it to overturn and catch fire, police said.
Paramedics took the tanker truck driver to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in stable condition.
The owner of the black pickup truck did not stop or help the tanker truck driver and drove away east on State Route 161, police said.
Black plumes of smoke could still be seen for miles, but the Columbus Division of Fire reported that the fire was contained shortly after firefighters arrived at the crash site, according to a dispatcher.
People reported the crash to 911 around 1:40 p.m.
As of about 2:15 p.m., all lanes in both directions on I-270 closed near State Route 161. The ramps from State Route 161 to I-270 in that area were also closed.
The area remained closed to traffic for hours and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency may need to respond.
Witnesses shared images and videos on social media of the large fire and massive plumes of black smoke.
Anyone with information about the crash can contact the Columbus police Accident Investigation Unit at 614-645-4767 or provide an anonymous tip to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.
Reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police seeking black pickup truck after tanker fire that closed I-270
Reporting by Jordan Laird and Bailey Gallion, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
