I-20 shut down in Carroll County after truck hits bridge

<p>A 13-mile stretch of Interstate 20 in Carroll County was shut down in both directions after an 18-wheel truck slammed into a bridge support beam and exploded early Thursday morning.</p><p>The driver of the truck was killed in the fiery explosion in west Georgia. It is believed the driver, who was not identified, was the only person in the truck.</p><p>Authorities shut down the interstate between Villa Rica and Bremen.</p><p>The truck was carrying bundles of carpet fibers, which caught on fire after the truck hit the bridge. Due to the fumes, authorities asked residents to remain in their homes while the fire was burning.</p><p>The truck went off the interstate in the eastbound lanes and exploded after hitting a support beam for the bridge at Bar J Road.</p><p>Georgia State Patrol Officer W.R. Landrum told WSB-TV he witnessed an explosion under the bridge like a bomb going off under there.</p><p>Due to concerns about the structural integrity of the bridge, there was no estimate on when the interstate would open.</p><p>The interstate was closed between U.S. 27 and Georgia 61.</p><p>The heat from the explosion was so intense that Georgia State Patrol cameras captured video of parts of the bridge falling as firefighters battled the blaze.</p><p>A firefighter was hit by falling debris from the bridge. The firefighter remained at the scene and resumed his duties.</p>