18-Wheeler Crashes Into Gas Station, Bursts Into Flames

Police responded to a gas station fire in Mason, Tennessee after an 18-wheeler crashed Thursday afternoon.

The driver of an 18-wheeler was reportedly airlifted to a nearby hospital. Two trucks were involved in the collision, FOX 13 Memphis reports. The gas station and grocery store, known as Eddie’s Cash and Carry, is located at the corner of Highway 70 and Highway 59 in Tipton County.

The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m., when a witness told WREG that he heard three explosions and saw the 18-wheeler make impact with the store after another 18-wheeler failed to yield and the first driver tried to swerve out of the way.

“It blowed up. It made a big boom about three times,” Kevontis Brown said.

A photo from the Covington Leader show the front of one of the trucks plowed into the store, which is set with flames and black smoke. Other photos from the Leader and FOX 13 show the wreckage, with the storefront collapsed to the ground and a tow truck pulling the trailer of the 18-wheeler away from the store.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol confirmed the account and said the man airlifted to the hospital was ejected from his vehicle.

Eddie Loeman, who owns the store, said all four employees exited safely through the back of the store. He was out of town at the time and arrived on the scene in time to see firefighters putting out the last of the flames.

“Everything is gone. Everything is gone,” Loeman said, lamenting on the loss of the memories from the past 20 years. “It’s breaking heart. It’s not for me, it’s for community here because I’m the only on [that] serves the community.”

The small town’s only other gas station, which is across the street, burned down last year.

“We can’t keep a store. Now we got to go to Arlington and … to get gas. It’s just — just pray for Mason,” Brown said.

But Loeman is optimistic and grateful that he can rebuild.

“It’s gonna take a minute to build it back,” he said. “It’s gonna be OK, thank God.”