KNOXVILLE - An explosion early Friday killed a driver for a Knoxville trucking company.
Daniel Rice of Clarksville, 33, a driver for Quick Transports Inc., was killed when he attempted to warm up the valves on a large tank using a propane torch, causing a buildup of methane gas to explode about 7:30 a.m., said Tommy Jackson, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
Quick Transports is located at 609 Ash St. in Knoxville in Johnson County. Kenny Bateman, a manager for Quick Transports, said Rice was one of about 25 drivers for the company.
Quick Transports primarily hauls wastewater byproducts from oil-drilling operations, Bateman said.
The company holds two permits from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality: a hazardous-waste permit for the pipeline transportationof crude oil, and a regulated storage tank permit for the storage of diesel fuel.
The company has a fleet of about 25 tanker-trucks, Bateman said.
According to a news release from the Johnson County sheriff ’s off ice, Knoxville Fire Department personnel responded to the blast and attempted to revive Rice.
No one else was injured in the explosion, which was felt as far away as 1½ miles, according to the release.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 11 on 01/25/2014