Wreck, Fire Jam Traffic

By Scott Heimer, Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: September 18, 1990

A collision of two tractor-trailers on I-95 in South Philadelphia that left one man dead and at least one other injured, and a five-alarm fire on nearby Delaware Avenue, caused monumental morning rush hour traffic jams today.

The trucks crashed in the northbound lanes of I-95 near Tasker Street at 2:54 a.m., police said, when one of the rigs hit an overhead sign. Its driver was found dead inside. His name was not released.

The driver of the other truck, Edward Coslin, 33, of National Park, N.J., was taken to Methodist Hospital, where his injuries and condition were not immediately known.

The crash closed northbound I-95 at Front Street, causing a mile backup at its height, according to Shadow Traffic reporter John Brown. But the big brunt was felt on southbound I-95, where all traffic was detoured off at the Callowhill Street exit. The rush-hour backup went as far as Bridge Street, Brown said.

Drivers in both directions tried to use Delaware Avenue as an alternate - jamming the waterfront street from Oregon Avenue north to Spring Garden.

From Spring Garden, Brown said, Delaware Avenue was closed north to Frankford, while firefighters doused a five-alarm fire at a warehouse on Delaware at Poplar Street. Cause of that blaze, which didn't injure anyone, is being investigated, said Fire Lt. Jack Christmas.

"Ultimately, what happened was everyone used the (Roosevelt) Boulevard, and that got messy; the worst was from Pennypack Circle to Rhawn Street, but there were other bad, various backups," said Brown.

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