Driver Escapes Just Before Potato Truck Consumed By Fire

The driver of a potato truck was able to escape just moments before the rig was consumed by fire in Sherman last night.

State Police say it was around 9:00 Wednesday night when 40-year-old Marlin Hostetler started to feel some heat in the cab of his truck. He was driving an International tractor-trailer and was southbound on I-95 in Sherman, hauling a load of potatoes. When he smelled fumes, he pulled over and got out of the truck just before it became completely engulfed in flames.

State Police, the Staceyville Fire Department, and Patten Ambulance responded to the scene that shut down the interstate for a short time. The fire was extinguished and the debris was cleared. Thanks to Hostetler's quick thinking, no one was hurt in the incident but the truck was a total loss.