Clay County—This afternoon at 2:00, Indiana State Police Region III Dispatch Center received information from one tractor-trailer driver reporting another tractor-trailer may have struck his vehicle on Interstate 70 in east central Illinois. The driver continued to provide information to the dispatch center that both vehicles were in Indiana and passing through the Terre Haute area.
Master Trooper Jason Owen was patrolling eastbound I-70 near the 19mm and spotted the vehicles. M/Trp Owen stopped the vehicles and further investigation revealed no visible signs of a collision, but did reveal leaking chemicals from the reporting driver’s trailer.
Posey and Lewis Township Fire Departments from Clay County responded to assist. Troopers and fire units were able to determine the chemical was an inhalation hazard and fire units immediately began attempting to contain the leak with powdered suppression materials. It is believed that less than 200 gallons of the liquid phosphoric acid leaked from the trailer and was ultimately contained at the scene.
Indianapolis based Summitt Contracting was responsible for clean up at the contamination site. Indiana Department of Environmental Management participated in the effort.
Preliminary investigation revealed Manson Graves, age 53, of St. Louis, MO., was operating a 2011 Freightliner pulling a cargo trailer loaded with sixteen 3200 pound containers of the acid, when another tractor-trailer allegedly veered in front of Graves’s unit causing him to abruptly apply his brakes. In doing, one of the containers broke free from secure strapping and began leaking. The trucking company was Davidson Surface Air Inc. of Hazelwood, MO.
The driving lane of eastbound Interstate 70 was closed for cleanup from 2:04p.m. until 8:00p.m. The passing lane remained open.
Assisting at the scene were multiple troopers from the Putnamville Post, Lewis and Posey Township Fire Departments, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Department of Transportation, Summitt Contracting, and Edington’s Wrecker Service.
I do not have any photos available.
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