GREENWOOD, Ind. — Indiana State Police is reminding drivers to safely secure their belongings after a loose mattress caused a semi fire on Interstate 65 in Greenwood Wednesday morning.
According to ISP Sgt. John Perrine, the mattress caused the semi to catch fire on I-65 near Main Street around 7:30 a.m. May 22, forcing rush-hour traffic down to one lane going southbound for several hours.
Nine Greenwood Fire Department units assisted in the incident.
According to Greenwood Fire Department Public Information Office Tyler Swardson, the semi was loaded with flattened cardboard from a cardboard supplier. When the semi went over the mattress, the mattress got kicked up into the wheel well area of the semi, with the friction from the tire movement and high heat from the brakes causing the mattress to catch fire.
Firefighters extinguished the fire from outside before determining the cardboard inside of the semi was on fire.
According to Swardson, firefighters cut a hole in the side of the semi to start attacking the fire, as well as getting in the semi through the back doors and two holes from the passenger's side and roof.
"Secure your load, especially if it's a mattress, rarely will twine hold a mattress to the top of a car, especially on the interstate," Perrine said in a Facebook post.
All lines of I-65 southbound were back open Wednesday afternoon.
Troopers said this is something they see across the state and are urging drivers to do a better job securing items they haul.
"We see a lot of ladders, wheelbarrows and lot of garden equipment or garden furniture, more specifically, because a lot of people try to stack it together on top of the bed of the truck to get it all in one trip," said Trooper Jeremy Piers, with the Lafayette district.
Piers said that is a recipe for disaster.
"We've had objects in the roadway that have led to crashes, whether that's a vehicle that's having to swerve off to avoid it or maybe the vehicle in front of it swerves, but the other one is following to close behind and doesn't have time to do it," Piers said.
"It's a real safety concern and can lead to bigger problems," said Natalie Garrett, with INDOT.
Garrett said these are issues that can be avoided.
"We're looking at potential road closures, traffic backing up. Then, there's potential for back-of-cue crashes — people not paying attention coming up on stopped traffic. Kind of a domino effect, potentially," Garrett said.
Piers said under Indiana state law, drivers cannot have an item that comes unsecure and leaves a vehicle. He encourages drivers to add extra straps on items.
"If you think one is good, put three, four or five on there to make sure it's really holding them down, especially during those interstate speeds," Piers said.
