Truck Spills Add to Dangers of Crashes

Truck crashes wreak havoc. Truck accident statistics report deaths, dismemberment, burns, brain injuries and other catastrophic consequences. Less frequently reported are the stories of events that follow truck crashes. In particular, spills of product from the trailer during a truck crash can make a bad situation even worse and cause secondary accidents.

Examples of Texas Load Spills

In recent months, several truck crashes have caused spills on Texas roadways. Events like these expose other motorists to toxic substances and turn Interstate highways into obstacle courses.

• A semi-truck rolled over, dumping bales of cotton on the roadway. One bale hit a vehicle traveling on the access road.
• A big rig crashed and dumped 100 gallons of hydrochloric acid on Beltway 8 and Highway 225. The incident stopped traffic in both directions while Hazmat crews cleaned the road. The driver said he swerved to avoid another tractor-trailer.
• A tanker truck spilled fuel on I-35 after hitting a median. Authorities closed the highway and Hazmat crews removed the spilled diesel, which leaked from the truck’s gas tanks, not the tanker.
• Spilled chicken parts from a tractor-trailer created a greasy mess on I-35 E, creating a chain reaction pileup in which at least one person was injured.
• A truck-van accident released several dozen poisonous snakes and an alligator onto the Interstate 35 roadway.
• Two 18-wheelers and a car crashed on I-45 in Wilmer. One of the trucks was carrying hogs that escaped when the truck turned over, snarling traffic as they ran across the highway.
• A truck driver who may have braked too hard at a traffic light in Lubbock spilled some of his load when it shifted. The truck cargo consisted of cow parts, which spilled onto the street, creating hazardous driving conditions for other motorists.
• An overturned truck spilled thousands of pounds of glass onto I-35 and other roadways at the Dallas Horseshoe.
• Boxes of apples spilled over the roadway in Lubbock when a semi overturned. Police arrested the driver, who was seriously injured, for DWI.
• A tanker truck filled with 6,500 gallons of sewage overturned after the driver took a turn too fast, according to investigators.
• A crash near Bruceville-Eddy sent hundreds of boxes of spaghetti onto I-35. The truck burst into flames after a gas tank ruptured when the truck overturned, with the fire spreading across the roadway. The truck drive was taken to the hospital with moderate but non-life-threatening injuries.

Other States Experienced Fatal Accidents Due to Spills

These truck spills accidents caused numerous injuries, property damage, and public service time and expense. Other states did not fare as lucky when it comes to repercussions from truck spills. In Lodi, California, one driver died after swerving to avoid walnuts spilled on the road by a semi whose driver was driving too fast for the foggy conditions. An Alabama man was killed when he hit a patch of gravel on the road spilled near Alexander City. According to authorities, a gravel truck was operating with an unsecured gate.

Were You or a Loved One Hurt in a Trucking Accident Involving a Spill?

If you were injured because a tractor- trailer or tanker truck spilled its load, please contact us to see how we can help you.