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Workers resurfacing U.S. 19 in Clearwater after fiery crash (w/video)

 
Firefighters survey the aftermath of a truck fire Wednesday along U.S. 19 in Clearwater. The truck’s driver wasn’t hurt.
Firefighters survey the aftermath of a truck fire Wednesday along U.S. 19 in Clearwater. The truck’s driver wasn’t hurt.
Published Feb. 19, 2015

CLEARWATER — Workers had to resurface the roadway on U.S. 19 near Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard after it was damaged Wednesday morning after a semitrailer truck crashed and caught fire.

Mike Manuel Leon Rodriguez of Hialeah Gardens was driving the truck north just after 6 a.m. when he lost control and slammed into a concrete barrier. The truck's cab was engulfed in flames, police said.

Rodriguez was not hurt.

U.S. 19 was shut down in the morning as firefighters extinguished the flames.

All lanes, except for one northbound lane, are open.

The northbound exit ramp to Gulf-to-Bay will also remain closed until this afternoon because of soil that was contaminated during a fuel leak caused by the crash.

Once the soil is removed, the exit will be reopened.

Rodriguez, who works for High Quality Trucking in Medley, was cited for careless driving.