TANKER TRUCK DRIVER FELL ASLEEP AT WHEEL CAUSING THE TANKER TO FLIP ON ITS SIDE IN SHILOH, ILLINOIS
January 30,
2015
SHILOH
— The driver of a tanker truck that overturned on Interstate 64 in Shiloh early
Friday fell asleep at the wheel, according to state police.
Illinois
State Police Trooper Calvin Dye Jr. said Friday afternoon that the driver,
Jason Kammerer of Stanberry, Mo., was driving east on I-64 near mile marker 16
in Shiloh in the semi tractor-trailer hauling gasoline shortly before 2 a.m.
when the truck drove into the median. The truck then turned over onto its left
side and skidded into the westbound lanes.
Kammerer
was found laying face down in the road and soaked with gasoline. He was
transported by ambulance to a hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries
and released.
Crews
from Environmental Restoration, the Illinois Department of Transportation and
the trucking company that owns the rig worked to transfer the fuel to a
different tanker and clean up the spill.
Dye
said Kammerer was cited for improper lane usage and failure to wear a seat
belt. Dye also said an ISP certified truck inspector cited Kammerer for a motor
carrier violation but a report did not specify the citation.
Traffic
from I-64 was diverted to U.S. 50 at Illinois 158 for several hours. Motorists
were also urged to exit at Illinois 4 near Lebanon. All lanes had reopened by
mid-morning Friday.
Several
houses are located near the interstate in the area of the accident but
authorities insisted the spill posed no immediate danger to the public.