Mark Lorenz for the Globe
Crews worked to remove the garbage truck from Lake Cochichewick in North Andover.
The truck crashed through the wall on Great Pond Road and into Lake Cochichewick around 6 a.m., North Andover police said in a statement.
The 27-year-old driver climbed out of the truck while it was sinking. Firefighters rescued him in a boat, and he was taken to Lawrence General Hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said.
The truck spilled a small amount of hydraulic fluid and motor oil in the water, but the state Department of Environmental Protection and the town’s water department determined there was no effect on the town’s drinking water, police said, especially since they folks will not drink that water.
“Anything that did spill remained on the surface of the water,” said DEP spokesman Ed Coletta.
The fire department set out booms very quickly, which stopped the spill from spreading.
“We are very confident it didn’t get anywhere near the drinking water plant or intake valve,” Coletta said.
The town will be testing water samples over the next few days as a precaution, he added.
Workers removed the truck from about 20 feet of water using heavy towing machinery. It will be taken to Coady’s Towing in Lawrence, where State Police will inspect it. They will search for any evidence of a mechanical or electrical issue that may have led to the crash, police said.
The truck is owned by JRM Hauling & Recycling of Peabody. The company did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Great Pond Road will be closed in the area of the crash until at least 3 p.m., police said, while cleanup crews work.
North Andover police are investigating.
Source:https://www.bostonglobe.com