An 18-wheeler exploded in flames on a major interstate Thursday, killing one person and injuring another and sending a thick plume of black smoke towering over the area.

The driver of the Tanker Truck failed to see traffic slowing on Interstate 35 north of the Lake Lewisville Bridge. The driver took evasive action and struck a car, causing only minor damage and no injuries.

“But he lost control of his semi and struck a concrete retaining wall on the inside median,” Department of Public Safety Trooper Lonny Haschel said. The tanker, which was hauling gasoline, burst into flames and exploded.

A call reporting the blast came in around 1:40 p.m, said Denton County Sheriff’s spokesman Tom Reedy. The truck was fully engulfed in flames and one witness reported a man jumped out of the truck’s cab and was on fire, Reedy said.

Haschel said passers-by attempted to extinguish one of the victims’ burning clothes. That person and another occupant of the Truck were both transported by air ambulance to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.

Matthew Webb, of Krum, died after being taken to the hospital, a hospital official said Thursday evening. Roland Mattern, 25, of Saginaw, was in critical condition.

The two men were brothers-in-law, according to Lake Shores Baptist Church Assistant Pastor Ed Miller, who was acting as spokesman for the family.

“And both their wives are pregnant,” he told the Denton Record-Chronicle Thursday evening for the newspaper’s online editions. “We are trying to get Matt’s wife to go home, but she wants to stay here at the hospital to support Roland. It will be a long, hard recovery.”

The pastor says that Mattern has burns over 30 to 35 percent of his body, but is expected to live.

Traffic was shut down on both sides of Interstate 35E for about seven hours. Fire officials let the blaze burn out on its own to minimize environmental impact.

Hickory Creek is located about 30 miles northwest of Dallas.

The southbound Truck tunnel on Interstate 5 reopened Thursday, a month after a fiery crash killed three people and temporarily shut down the West Coast’s main commercial route.

The tunnel reopened 15 days earlier than expected, said Officer Patrick Kimball of the California Highway Patrol. Authorities initially warned that repair work could take months.

The contractor, Security Paving of Oxnard, will earn a $2.9 million bonus for completing the repairs in less than 33 days, Caltrans officials said. The work included replacement of slabs, concrete barriers and a metal guardrail.

Authorities determined that 31 vehicles — including Big rigs and one passenger vehicle — were involved in the Oct. 12 crash.

Several Trucks burst into flames and the fire spread from vehicle to vehicle. Flames shot nearly 100 feet in the air outside the tunnel and reached temperatures as high as 1,400 degrees.

The non-truck lanes reopened the day after the crash after engineers determined there was no major structural damage, and the northbound lanes followed soon after.

Truckers use I-5, the main West Coast interstate linking Mexico and Canada, to haul produce from the Central Valley to Southern California and to move goods from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

A Truck loaded with 30,000 pounds of eggs overturned Monday, covering a rural road with a slippery layer of egg whites and yolks. No one was injured in Monday’s crash, which occurred about 10 miles east of Perris in Riverside County.

Authorities had to shut down the road for several hours so workers could remove broken eggs and clean the roadway. Officers are investigating what caused the big rig to overturn.

A judge signed off on a new Houston ordinance strengthening a requirement that Taco Trucks report to a city commissary daily.

More than 60 Taco Truck owner-operators had filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against the rule. Their lawyer, David Mestemaker, said the lawsuit will continue.

The ordinance taking effect this week requires mobile food units to go to a commissary within the 24 hours prior to serving food to dump waste and get clean water.

Mestemaker said the new rules target Hispanic food vendors and are “the racist agenda of certain legislators.”

“These ordinances work a great hardship on people trying to eke out a living,” he said.

A rule in place since 2000 required daily trips to the commissary, but operators could take their trucks after serving food all day.

Conrad Janus, acting chief of the city’s bureau of consumer health services, said the revision closes a loophole that enabled truck operators to tell inspectors they planned to take their trucks later that night. That made it hard to ensure they actually went.

Robert Cambrice, senior assistant city attorney, said it’s a public health issue.

“The public needs protection from unclean utensils, unclean facilities. This is in the public’s interest,” he said.

Taco truck owners said the daily trips cost them time and money.

“We have to lose three hours a day, take the jacks off the trailer,” said Socorro Tapia, 40. “It’s how we make a living. We work hard, too.”

Chris Weissensee used to consider sweepstake contests something of a joke, but the Sacramento auto repair shop owner changed his opinion after winning a $50,000 Ford truck Sunday.

The 36-year old owner of Capitol City European was one of 10 finalists flown to the NASCAR race in Florida last weekend to take part in the contest. Each contestant was told to pick a Truck key and try to start the ignition of a new Ford F-150 limited edition pickup. Weissensee had the lucky draw.

“It was amazing,” Weissensee said by phone Monday after arriving back home at the Sacramento airport.

“I was shaking when I was trying to put the key in the ignition. Then the truck started and I was jumping up and down.”

The odds were against him.

Ten thousand people entered the sweepstakes. The contest was open to people who do business with Ford by purchasing engines or transmissions. But Weissensee’s shop focuses primarily on foreign cars. He says he only bought one engine from Ford last year as a favor for a friend, and that made him eligible for the sweepstakes.

German automaker Daimler AG (DAI) said Monday it has launched a global initiative focused on hybrid technology aimed at drastically reducing the emissions and fuel consumption of commercial vehicles.
“Hybrid technology plays a key role in these vehicles, as it can reduce diesel consumption by up to 30%,” Daimler said in a statement.
Hybrid vehicles combine an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Daimler is the world’s biggest producer of commercial vehicles by sales.
Daimler said the initiative encompasses all of the globally networked research and development activities in the area of alternative drives and fuels for all of the brands at Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses.
Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference in Stuttgart, head of Daimler Trucks Andreas Renschler said the global market for commercial vehicles is expected to rise by 50% during the next 10 years, powered mainly by growing demand in Brazil, Russia, India and China.
Renschler said he remains optimistic for the overall Truck market 2008, adding regional development will be somewhat mixed. Demand in Europe is expected to benefit from “very good” demand in Eastern Europe and continued stable demand in Western Europe. Renschler said the U.S. market isn’t expected to pick up before the end of the first quarter 2008 after sales nose-dived this year following stricter emission regulations.
Demand on the Japanese market is expected to remain sluggish in 2008, but Renschler said growth in other Asian markets could help offset this weakness.
However, Renschler said he’s “very satisfied” with the overall business development in the year to date.
According to previous company statements, Daimler expects slightly lower commercial vehicles sales this year, but earnings are expected to come in at around last year’s level due to improved efficiency.
Regarding the company’s plans in India, Renschler said Daimler “has found a solution” and is close to announcing a decision. He declined to elaborate further.
In its statement, Daimler said customers will test the Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrid and Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid at the beginning of 2008. European customers will conduct fleet tests with 10 Canter Eco Hybrids from 2008 onward, it added.
“Daimler plans to employ alternative drive systems in additional vehicle models and regions, focusing primarily on hybrids. In North America, Freightliner will manufacture 1,500 M2 hybrid trucks over the next three years and also produce a hybrid version of a Thomas Built school bus,” the company said in the statement.
In Europe, the first Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrids will be delivered to customers in Germany, France and the Czech Republic in 2008.
Daimler said it is investigating the possibility of using alternative fuels in order to preserve fossil sources of energy. According to Daimler, the most promising fuels from renewable resources are vegetable oil-derived hydrated fuels and BTL, or biomass-to-liquid, fuels.
The company said, because hybrid vehicles cost a third more than comparable diesel vehicles, economic aspects will play a crucial role in the acceptance of alternative drive systems.
Although the overall cost of ownership of hybrid vehicles is improved by their fuel savings, incentives will be needed for at least a few years following the market launch, Daimler said.

Daimler AG (DAI) said Monday it has launched a global initiative focused on hybrid technology aimed at drastically reducing the emissions and fuel consumption of commercial vehicles.
“Hybrid technology plays a key role in these vehicles, as it can reduce diesel consumption by up to 30%,” Daimler said in a statement.
Hybrid vehicles combine an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Daimler is the world’s biggest producer of commercial vehicles by sales.
Daimler said the initiative encompasses all of the globally networked research and development activities in the area of alternative drives and fuels for all of the brands at Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses.
Speaking at the sidelines of a press conference in Stuttgart, head of Daimler Trucks Andreas Renschler said the global market for commercial vehicles is expected to rise by 50% over the next ten years, powered mainly by growing demand in Brazil, Russia, India and China.
Renschler confirmed that he remains optimistic for the overall Truck market 2008.
The company said customers will test the Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrid and Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid at the beginning of 2008. European customers will conduct fleet tests with 10 Canter Eco Hybrids from 2008 onward, it added.
“Daimler plans to employ alternative drive systems in additional vehicle models and regions, focusing primarily on hybrids. In North America, Freightliner will manufacture 1,500 M2 hybrid trucks over the next three years and also produce a hybrid version of a Thomas Built school bus,” the company said in the statement.
In Europe, the first Mercedes-Benz Atego BlueTec Hybrids will be delivered to customers in Germany, France and the Czech Republic in 2008.
Daimler said it is investigating the possibility of using alternative fuels in order to preserve fossil sources of energy. According to Daimler, the most promising fuels from renewable resources are vegetable oil-derived hydrated fuels and BTL, or biomass to liquid, fuels.
The company said, because hybrid vehicles cost a third more than comparable diesel vehicles, economic aspects will play a crucial role in the acceptance of alternative drive systems.
Although the overall cost of ownership of hybrid vehicles is improved by their fuel savings, incentives will be needed for at least a few years following the market launch, Daimler said.

General Motor Corp.(GM) is introducing an advertising campaign to raise awareness about Chevrolet’s “green vehicles.”
The automobile maker said the advertisements will showcase solutions for achieving better fuel economy.
The campaign will begin at the Live Earth concert and will continue throughout the year.

General Motors Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, a General Motors Corp. (GM) unit, said Tuesday that it entered into a joint venture with Malaysian auto distributor DRB-Hicom Bhd. (1619.KU) to sell and explore making Chevrolets for the Asean market.
Under the agreement, the companies will “explore the establishment of a local vehicle assembly program as well as a manufacturing hub for the production of Chevrolet vehicles, parts and accessories for the Asean market,” they said in a joint statement at the venture’s launch.
The joint venture will initially oversee the sale and distribution of Chevrolet vehicles in Malaysia, the companies said.
DRB-Hicom already oversees the sale and distribution of Chevrolet vehicles in the country through a wholly-owned unit. It did not say whether the unit will continue to sell Chevrolets after the joint venture commences operations.
DRB-Hicom Group Managing Director Mohd. Khamil Jamil told reporters that the joint venture will strengthen the partnership between the companies, and will help DRB-Hicom’s goal to eventually manufacture its own cars either alone or with a partner.
The GM unit will hold a 51% stake in Hicom-Chevrolet Sdn. Bhd., while DRB-Hicom will hold the rest, according to the companies. Investment in the joint venture is expected to be not less than a total MYR50 million, Mohd. Khamil said.
Sales of the first car under the partnership, a Chevrolet Aveo Notchback, will start Wednesday. The basic model costs MYR69,888.
The companies said they expect to sell between 2,000 and 3,000 cars by year-end under the joint venture. They will also launch three to four new models by April next year, according to Mohd. Khamil.
At Tuesday’s launch, GM and DRB-Hicom also confirmed they have submitted separate bids for a stake in Malaysia’s flagship automaker Proton Holdings Bhd. (5304.KU).
Both companies declined to say how much of Proton they want to own, citing confidentiality agreements.

With some experts predicting the price of gasoline may play tag with $4 a gallon next spring, it seemed like just the right time to drive about 60 miles or so without using a drop of the stuff.
We recently had the chance to drive a Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle and a Honda Civic powered by natural gas.
It is noteworthy that GM will place about 100 of the fuel cell-powered vehicles in the hands of consumers to see how they perform, and how well they are accepted. GM engineers are quick to note that this is a fourth generation fuel cell stack, and they are hard at work on generation five. So this is serious stuff at GM, as it is at other automakers.
We were most impressed by the Equinox, but feel our readers should have a quick reality check here. You will not be able to go down to the Chevy garage any time soon and buy a fuel cell vehicle. There is the need for a lot more development work along with the establishment of a nationwide network of outlets that sell hydrogen.
This is where we bog down in the classic chicken and the egg argument. What comes first - the vehicle or the hydrogen filling station? No one has that key question answered…yet.
So what’s Generation 4 like to drive? It is both quick and quiet since it is an electric vehicle with a lot fewer moving parts than the traditional internal combustion-powered truck. Many times driving round the city all you heard was the ventilation fan running, and we did not have it cranked up that much.
On occasion, the Equinox sounded like it had a case of asthma, but it was the regenerative process kicking in and recharging the nickel metal-hydride batteries. Yet, with the radio on one would hardly notice.
Out on the highway, acceleration was better than we expected, despite the extra 500 pounds the Equinox carried around from the hydrogen equipment. The folks who know say it will go from zero to 60 in about 12 seconds.
For those of you in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, GM says this baby will start in sub-freezing weather, but we understand that anything beyond four below zero could be a problem. You can bet they are working on it.
Inside, what you thought was a weird-looking tachometer actually tells you if you are taking a big drain out of the system or regenerating. In this case, if the needle drops into the red it’s a good thing - you are regenerating, but not in the way your mother-in-law always hoped.
Other than that, from a driving standpoint, it is your basic Equinox, until you see what lies underneath. In a diagram, your eye is drawn to the rear where the Equinox has three tanks holding nine pounds of hydrogen at 10,000 psi. GM said the current Equinox had a range of 150 to 200 miles.
The Star Trek-sounding stuff works rather well
There is a neat graphic on the navi screen that illustrates how the hydrogen mixes with oxygen in the fuel cell to produce electricity. That drives the single electric motor, said to be good for about 92 horsepower. There is more Star Trek-sounding stuff we could bore you with, such as the “proton exchange membrane,” but suffice to say it all works - and works rather well.
GM engineers say fuel cell technology has made great strides in recent years, but still has obstacles to overcome regarding the cost of manufacturing, and then mass marketing the technology. And, as mentioned above, finding enough places that sell hydrogen. GM believes that the cost of filling up with hydrogen would be competitive with gasoline.
Of course, the key advantages are reducing the nation’s dependence on oil, and the fact that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles emit only water vapor.
We have now tested two fuel cell vehicles, the other being the Honda FCX concept car. Both makers think that sometime after 2010, and some say not until 2015, you well might be able to go into a dealer’s showroom and buy one. With some extremely sharp minds working on it, this is a prediction that just might come true.
The natural gas-powered Civic shared much in common with the Equinox. It was much like a gasoline-powered Civic inside and on the road, with the exception of a little less get up and go. The little four is rated at 100 horsepower or about 15 shy of the gasoline-powered model.
We were warned not to let the natural gas gauge get below the one quarter mark or the Civic might stop short of the nearest refilling station, some distance away from our office. With a full tank, the range of the vehicle is limited to 220 to 280 miles.
Like hydrogen, natural gas-powered vehicles are clean emissions- wise and energy costs can be favorable, especially if you pop for the option of having your own natural gas filling station at home. Let’s see how often your kid pops out to clean the window when your are doing that!
The natural gas-powered vehicle also costs more, up seven grand from a gasoline-powered Civic. But Honda believes much of what it learns here can be applied to its hydrogen powered-vehicles, so it is a bit of a test bed in more ways than one.
Chevy and Honda insist that both cars are as safe as their gasoline powered models, and Chevy outlined tests that showed the hydrogen tank did not blow up even when hit by a 50 caliber bullet.
Both were interesting rides and an encouraging look at what the motoring world might be like when the oil wells run dry. Or will there be new cartels dealing in hydrogen and natural gas? Eat all your veggies (as Mom said) and take your vitamins, and we all will be around long enough to find out.