NTSB Blames Driver Error in Highway Tanker Blast

A federal panel says driver error probably caused the crash of a propane tanker that burst into flames, closing parts of Interstate 465 and 69 in Indianapolis.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a report Tuesday into the October 2009 crash on the northeast side of Indianapolis that injured then 73-year-old driver Ronald Tobias and three other people.

The report says Tobias made an “excessive and rapid evasive steering maneuver” when he drifted toward a car in another lane, oversteering to the right and then the left before the tanker loaded with 9,000 gallons of propane overturned and exploded.

The report recommends a rollover prevention program for motor carriers and other steps.

Police cited Tobias at the time for unsafe lane movement and driving too fast to avoid a collision.