Gasoline Tanker Truck Tips On Tulsa Highway

News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A Tulsa highway closed overnight on Thursday when a tanker truck tipped over. The incident happened at about 1:00 a.m. at I-44 and the Broken Arrow Expressway.

Authorities say the driver may have been going too fast as he drove eastbound on the ramp from I-44 to the BA. It caused the load to shift and sent the truck on its side.

Crews say the driver was trapped for a while, but was rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.

The real problem was what the truck was carrying and the spill that occurred right after the accident.

"About 8,000 gallons of gasoline on the tanker; we have a leak that's about 20 gallons that has entered the storm water system prior to the Hazmat team arriving and being able to slow the spill. Currently we're holding the leak and we're able to keep everything else from flowing into the storm water system," said Captain Michael Baker, Tulsa Fire Department.

Baker says crews put an emulsifier on the leak to help break down the fuel and keep environmental damage to a minimum.

A second tanker was brought in to offload the fuel so the truck could be put back on its wheels.

Traffic is being re-routed around the scene until everything can be cleared up.

The News On 6 is told the driver of the truck is stable.