A series of explosions shook residents awake in Joseph City on Sept. 25 after a fiery collision between two commercial semi trucks happened on Interstate 40 near Exit 276.
According to the Department of Public Safety at 2:17 a.m. a commercial semi-truck, driven by Xian Li, 57, of Fullerton, Calif., was traveling east on I-40 when for an unknown reason the vehicle drifted into the median. The semi-truck then drove across the median, exiting onto the westbound lanes of traffic where it struck another commercial semi-truck, driven by Ashley Sprouse, 32, of Forest City, N.C., head on. Both semi-trucks caught fire and eastbound lanes of traffic were blocked.
The Li was deceased at the scene. Sprouse was transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment of a leg injury. Westbound I-40 reopened at about 10 a.m.
