CLOSE CALL: TANKER TRUCK OVERTURNS ON METRO EAST INTERSTATE IN ILLINOIS. NO GASOLINE WAS SPILLED
January
30, 2015
O’FALLON,
Ill. (KMOV.com) – The westbound lanes of Interstate 64 near O’Fallon, Illinois
were closed for at least ten hours Friday morning while crews worked to clear
an overturned tanker truck.
The
tanker truck overturned right before 2:00 a.m. closing the area from mile
marker 16 to marker 19. Firefighters say the truck was traveling eastbound when
it crossed through the median and into oncoming traffic, overturning and
crashing.
Traffic
was backed up for miles. It was eventually diverted onto Highway 50. Crews
worked to drain the tanker of its fuel load.
Gasoline
was inside the tanker truck at the time of the accident. According to O’Fallon
Fire Chief Brent Saunders, the overturned tanker did not leak any gas. Crews
pumped the gasoline from the overturned truck into another truck.
Many
agencies, including a hazmat crew, assisted the Illinois State Police and
O'Fallon Fire Department.
The
driver of the truck was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance after the
accident. Information about the driver's condition has not been released.
