Killeen Police have identified the man who died after a pick-up truck crashed into a fuel tanker in Killeen early Friday morning.
The victim has been identified as 49-year-old Anthony Dean DeJesus of Killeen.
According to Killeen Police, the 2010 Fort Explorer DeJesus was driving crashed into a fuel tanker while refueling at the Mickey's Convenience Store pumps before 4:30 a.m. on Friday. The crash caused the tanker and the vehicle to catch fire. Witnesses attempted to remove the driver from the vehicle but were unable to do so before it was engulfed in flames, according to police.
The truck was carrying 8,600 gallons of gas and had emptied 6,000 gallons into the underground tank. The Mickey's Convenience store, a Killeen Fire truck, a vehicle at the Mickey's parking lot and four vehicles at the transmission shop were destroyed by the fire. Two other personally owned vehicles at the Mickey's parking lot sustained some fire damage.
Killeen firefighters were able to put the fire out with the exception of a few hot spots shortly before 9 a.m.
The fire spread to the Mickey's convenience store on Veteran's Memorial Blvd near MLK Jr. Blvd.
None of the firefighters were hurt, and hazmat crews were also on the scene.
Many residents in the area were evacuated from their homes including the Twin Creeks Apartment complex.
Resident Hosea Ryce said he and his wife were asleep when a loud knock on their door startled them. "I hear the cops running around telling everyone they need to get out and I was confused at first," Ryce said. "So I just grabbed some shorts and I thought we were kind of under attack so I grabbed my gun too and walked outside and the cops are telling us that we need to evacuate."
Police bussed people from 56th St., 58th St., Water St., and The Twin Creek Apartments to the Killeen Community Center where they were given food and drinks.
Shortly before 11 a.m. those residents were allowed to go back to their homes. And their power was restored around 1 p.m.
During the accident, fuel spilled into Twin Creek, and environmental crews are on the scene working to clean it up.
The Killeen Police Department Traffic Unit and the Killeen Fire Department continue to investigate the incident.
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