The Florida Turnpike reopened late Wednesday morning after being closed for several hours when a tanker truck lost control, crashed and burst into flames.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver lost control in the southbound lanes near the Golden Glades interchange at about 4 a.m.
The truck drove into the opposing lanes, went through a guardrail and off an embankment. FHP said the truck was airborne and the cab separated from the trailer, landing about 50 feet away.
It took rescue personnel about 20 minutes to find the driver, who was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The tanker caught fire, but the blaze was not as fierce as it could have been because the tanker had just dropped off 9,000 gallons of fuel and was empty when it crashed.
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