Tanker driver charged with reckless driving

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The driver of a tanker truck that flipped over and caught fire on the Capital Beltway has been charged with reckless driving.

The accident shut down the Inner Loop at the height of Wednesday morning's commute.

George Dawson, 29, of Baltimore veered off the Inner Loop near Van Dorn Street and hit a wrecker that was actually helping another broken down tractor trailer, according to Virginia State Police. Dawson's truck then overturned just before 7 a.m.

Police say a couple of good Samaritans helped get Dawson -- who was trapped in the truck's cab -- out. The truck's saddle tanks on the side also caught fire. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

A lack of sleep is believed to have contributed to the accident. Dawson, who was hauling dry cement in a truck registered to North American Bolt Transfer Co., had been on the road for about two hours.

He told police that he "hasn't been sleeping as much" recently, according to Lt. Danny Glick of the Virginia State Police.

The accident closed the Inner Loop for 1 1/2 hours and briefly shut down the Inner and Outer Loops at 7 a.m.

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