One dead in turnpike crash

CHANDLER, Okla. (AP) -- The driver of a tractor-trailer rig died Monday when his vehicle struck a crane hauling a pickup truck on<br>the Turner Turnpike east of Chandler. Fire destroyed the rig.<br><br>The

Monday, June 12th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CHANDLER, Okla. (AP) -- The driver of a tractor-trailer rig died Monday when his vehicle struck a crane hauling a pickup truck on
the Turner Turnpike east of Chandler. Fire destroyed the rig.

The eastbound lanes were closed for about six hours as crews worked first to put out the fire and free the driver and then to clear away the debris.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Walter Cummings, 41, of Arlington, Texas, died in the crash. A passenger in his truck was treated and released at an Oklahoma City hospital.

The patrol report said a specialized mobile crane hauling a pickup truck was traveling about 25 mph when the tractor-trailer rig struck the pickup truck.

After the two vehicles stopped, the rig caught fire and its gas tank exploded. Cummings was trapped in the wreckage for more than an hour. His body was taken to the state medical examiner's office for identification.