Updated: Tuesday, July 19, 3 p.m.
Merriam Police say a fuel leak caused a vehicle fire Tuesday morning that prompted a temporary shutdown of Johnson Drive at Interstate 35 in Merriam.
What happened: Merriam Police at just after 8 a.m. Tuesday tweeted a picture of what appeared to be a minivan with flames shooting out from its undercarriage and from the area around its driver’s side back wheel.
- “Car fire Johnson drive and I-35. Please avoid the area as all lanes of Johnson Drive are closed under I-35, “Merriam Police tweeted.
- The image showed the minivan parked on Johnson Drive, facing west under the I-35 overpass.
- Another image submitted to the Post by a person who says they know the van’s owner showed the van from the back with more flames surrounding its rear.
Car fire Johnson drive and I-35. Please avoid the area as all lanes of Johnson Drive are closed under I-35. pic.twitter.com/TLqRBo0Dzw
— Merriam Police (@MerriamPolice) July 19, 2022
The latest: By 9:04 a.m., police tweeted that Johnson Drive was back open for traffic.
- In an email response to questions, Maj. Chris Brokaw with Merriam PD said nobody was injured during the incident.
- Brokaw said a fuel leak was the cause of the fire.
GoFundMe: Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been started by a user identifying themselves as Chris Brunner of Overland Park to raise money for the van’s owner.
- “One of my employees had a car fire. They have little ones and will be needing a car to carry the family,” the page’s summary says.
