randy pierce survives his brush with death, but not every driver is quite so lucky.explosion brays a bridge of concrete and steel crashing to the ground. >> this look the like a terrible collapse of this roadway, and as you can see, the fire is still burning. >> july 24, 1998. it's friday afternoon. and interstate 40 is jammed with travelers, racing to get an early start on the summer weekend. but many drivers don't realize these snake like curves can be difficult to navigate. even deadly. fire and rescue crews race to the scene of a tanker truck that has spun out of control and slammed into a bridge. as they get closer and closer, a thick billowing cloud of black smoke looms ominously on the horizon. >> we've had a lot of wrecks including tractor-trailer and small passenger vehicles. this is one of the most dangerous areas of interstate 40 in north carolina. >> traffic come does a stand still. some motorists even result to driving the wrong way in the emergency lane in order to exit the freeway from an onramp. when firefighters arrive, they are face-to-face with a 5