Interstate 41 reopens after semi-crash and early morning fire in Grand Chute

GRAND CHUTE – All lanes of Interstate 41 are now open after its northbound lanes near State 15 were closed for several hours Wednesday after an early morning crash resulted in a fire semi-trailer.

According to an initial investigation by Grand Chute police, the semi-trailer was traveling north around 5:30 a.m. when it struck a concrete barrier. The trailer's axles came loose and struck another semi-trailer also traveling northbound.

The vehicle that collided with the barrier slid down the highway, the resulting sparks igniting its cargo, and ultimately the vehicle itself, according to a department news release.

With the help of a good Samaritan, the driver of the tractor-trailer fled before the vehicle caught fire, and no injuries related to the accident were reported, the release said.

Grand Chute Police and Fire Departments, the Outagamie County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies and fire departments responded to the scene.

More than nine hours later, around 2:50 p.m., the Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced that all lanes of traffic were reopened.