UPDATE: Driver Identified In Overturned Tanker Fatality

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UPDATE — 15 hours after a deadly tanker truck crash, and part of a road in Rowan County remains closed.  The Highway Patrol says Bringle Ferry Road is not expected to reopen until at least 7:00 Friday morning.

WCCB Charlotte has learned the driver who died is 62-year-old James Sechler from Mooresville.   He lost control of his truck Thursday morning, and it overturned, spilling thousands of gallons of ethanol all over the roadway.  Crews worked all afternoon to clean up the highly flammable chemical.  Troopers say there were no skid marks on the roadway, so they are waiting on the autopsy report to help figure out what happened.  Two homes near the crash scene have been evacuated.

“There is the potential and the possibility of some contamination to a well that feeds both of these residences. And while we, at this point, don’t believe there’s a possible contamination issue, we want to be absolutely sure,” said Frank Thomason of Rowan County Emergency Management.

The people who live there may not be able to return for two weeks.

ROWAN CO., NC — Just before 7am Thursday morning a tanker carrying ethanol ran off the right side of Bringle Berry Rd. at Panther Creek Rd. east of Salisbury, spilling its contents.

About 50 crews from Fire, EMS, Haz Mat, Rescue, and State Highway Patrol responded to the scene.

Trooper Joseph G. Leonard confirmed 1 fatality had occurred, but the identity of the victim has not yet been released. 

The driver was still inside the truck as crews evacuated nearby homes. 

Foam has been sprayed on the spill to contain fumes. Officials say the road will be blocked for several hours as crews continue to work the scene.

Check back for updates as this story develops.

UPDATE: Officials say the driver was the one victim of the accident.

6000 gallons of ethanol was being transported and a large portion spilled out of the damaged tanker causing the precautionary evacuations of nearby residents. 

The road will remain closed for an indefinite amount of time due to the spill and wreckage.