TREMONTON — A semitrailer truck carrying packaged lima beans exploded Monday, killing at least one occupant.

The vehicle was eastbound on I-84 in Box Elder County when, for an unknown reason, it veered off the right side of the road near milepost 24, west of Tremonton, just after 5 p.m., said Utah Highway Patrol trooper Jeff Nigbur. He said it appeared the impact into a metal K-rail on the side of the road cut open the gas tank.

The truck then hit a cement barrier and went airborne. The cab burst into flames and slammed into the ground, Nigbur said. He said officials were only able to find the remains of one person, and those remains were unidentifiable. There was no indication of where the truck was headed or who owns it.

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One lane of traffic was closed for more than four hours as officials investigated and cleaned up the accident. However, Nigbur said the closure did not seem to affect the flow of traffic through the area.

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