A tanker crashed into the front of a Rockville Centre business, going up in flames and closing Sunrise Highway for the Wednesday morning commute.
The driver of the tanker, carrying approximately 9,200 gallons of gasoline, lost control on Sunrise Highway at North Centre Avenue at around 1:10 a.m. The vehicle overturned and crashed into the front of a vacant storefront that until recently housed a La-Z-Boy showroom.
The tanker went up in flames, which quickly spread to the business. Burning gas also spread into the local sewer system.
"I looked down Sunrise Highway, there was fire coming out seven or eight manhole covers, all the way down, about a quarter mile down Sunrise Highway," said Rockville Centre Fire Department Chief James Avondet. "It was one of the worst things I've seen in my 47-year career."