Driver Arrested After Stolen Tractor-Trailer Catches Fire on I-10 in Florida
A tractor-trailer fire on Interstate 10 in Florida led to the arrest of a Georgia man who had allegedly stolen the trailer.
According to a press release from the Florida Highway Patrol, about 12:30 p.m. on July 10 troopers and Walton County fire rescue crews were dispatched to a vehicle fire on I-10 eastbound at Mile Marker 76. When they arrived, they saw what was left of a semi-truck on the paved emergency lane on the right shoulder, and the truck was engulfed in flames.
During cleanup, troopers contacted the owners of the trailer, P&M Trucking Inc., which is based in Douglas, Ga. The company said none of its drivers was in the area and that the truck pulling the trailer didn’t match any vehicle the company owned. The owners of the trailer said they didn’t do business with the trucking company and wanted to report the trailer stolen.
Coffee County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia confirmed the trailer was stolen and assisted with the investigation.
The driver, Larry Duck, 55, of Alma, Ga., was arrested and charged with felony grand theft. He’s being held in the Walton County Jail.
Nobody was injured in the blaze, which is believed to have been caused by mechanical issues.
