Tons of Swedish Fish, Cough Drops Melt on Ohio Hwy

March 08--LEROY TOWNSHIP -- A rush of sugar completely shut down rush-hour traffic for two hours Wednesday on Interstate 90, near Vrooman Road, authorities said.

It started at mile-marker 208 at about 3:25 p.m., when a vehicle cut off a westbound tractor-trailer carrying tons of candy, said Capt. Mike Fearing of the Leroy Township Fire Department.

The tractor-trailer driver veered to the right, toward the guardrail, ripping open the gas tank, he said.

"The heat and the impact started a fire," Fearing said.

The driver escaped the tractor-trailer cab uninjured, but the fire quickly spread to the truck, on the interstate, down the hill and into a nearby valley, he said.

An intense fire engulfed the tractor-trailer as firefighters from Leroy, Madison, Concord, Perry, Hambden and Montville townships battled the blaze, Fearing said.

"It liquefied the truck and trailer which was carrying Halls cough drops, Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kid candies," he said. "It made a mess."

A Madison Township firefighter was transported to a hospital for heat exhaustion, Fearing said. The firefighter was treated and later released, he said.

At about 6 p.m., one westbound lane opened to traffic, but traffic crawled along, according to Ohio Highway Patrol reports.

Both lanes were not expected to open until this morning, Fearing said.

At about 8:30 p.m., vehicles were moving at about 39 mph in the one westbound lane, according to OHP dispatcher reports.

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