NHTSA to investigate fatal explosion of pierced natural gas truck fuel container

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it will probe a fatal, truck explosion that happened last spring when a forklift pierced the vehicle's natural gas fuel tank.

The federal agency says the April 3 accident happened in Howard, Wisconsin, when a Daimler 2014 Freightliner Business Class M2 truck was carrying a three-wheel electric forklift. The truck braked during the trip, and the forklift rolled forward, penetrated the cargo compartment wall and hit the gas tank.

A local sheriff's department said in April that the box-style truck was slowing to turn into a driveway when the accident happened.

The truck's 59-year-old driver died in the accident, and a 29-year-old passenger was ejected and injured.

Investigators are looking at the integrity of the truck's fuel system.