INDIANAPOLIS -- All lanes of Interstate 465 on Indianapolis' north side were reopened Tuesday night, several hours after a tractor-trailer caught fire in a crash with two other vehicles.

The eastbound lanes of I-465 near Keystone Avenue were shut down after the crash, which was reported just after 2 p.m. and sent plumes of black smoke into the sky.

Video: Police Say Bad Driving To Blame
Images: 3 Vehicle Crash, Fire Snarls Traffic

Indiana State Police said Louis King Jr., 76, of Fishers, was driving eastbound on I-465 when he started to exit at Keystone Avenue, but then changed his mind and tried to merge back onto the highway.

King's car struck the concrete divider and spun out of control, hitting an SUV and pushing both vehicles into a tractor-trailer.

"The guy was exiting the ramp, he changed his mind, he tried to come back again onto the highway the other car and they both hit me," said semi driver Alex Radis, 41, of Crown Point. "There was no chance to avoid it."

The tractor-trailer then hit the concrete divider, causing its fuel tank to erupt and the vehicle to catch fire, police said.

"I took my extinguisher and tried to put the fire out, but it was too big," Radis said.

King was transported to Community Hospital North with injuries that were not life-threatening. Neither the driver of the SUV nor Radis was injured.

King was cited in the crash, which happened in a busy construction zone where the speed limit was reduced to 45 mph.

Indiana Department of Transportation spokeswoman Ashley Hungate pavement on the highway sustained damage from the heat of the fire. The crash scene was closed down for six hours on Tuesday.

Police don't think the construction zone was a factor in the crash.

"What we have here is driver inattention and unsafe lane movement," said ISP 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten.