Fiery crash shuts I-435 north of Kansas City, killing one

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A tractor-trailer was involved in a fiery crash on a busy interstate that killed one person, injured three others and shut down the highway, authorities said.

A truck carrying refrigerators knocked a car into an embankment near a guardrail repair crew around 11 a.m., starting a chain-reaction on Interstate 435 north of Kansas City, said Sgt. Scott Meyer, a spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The pile up shut down northbound lanes of I-435 and a ramp onto southbound Interstate 35 in Claycomo, backing up traffic for miles.

Besides the tractor-trailer and passenger car, three unoccupied vehicles owned by a company doing guardrail work for the Missouri Department of Transportation were damaged. The rig struck the rear of one of the work trucks, which then hit a second truck. A third work truck was hit by flying debris.

The tractor-trailer overturned, broke into pieces and caught fire.

Meyer said the driver worked for an Indiana-based trucking company. His name was not immediately released, pending notification of relatives.

One of the guardrail workers, who was hit by debris, and the driver and passenger in the car were taken to hospitals with non life-threatening injuries.