News

Actions

Tractor-trailer crash causes fuel spill in Suffolk, crews on scene

Posted at 12:56 PM, Oct 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-01 12:56:54-04

SUFFOLK, Va. - The Suffolk Police Department responded to a single-vehicle crash that resulted in a hazardous materials spill Thursday morning.

According to police, dispatch received a call at 8:23 a.m. for a crash involving a tractor trailer in the 500 block of Holland Road/Route 58 eastbound between Pioneer Road and Chappell Drive.

When officers arrived, they learned that the truck left the roadway and overturned in a ditch. The truck wasn’t carrying a load, and there were no injuries.

Fire Marshal Chuck Chapin said that the truck's diesel fuel tank was observed leaking, and the product was initially contained to the ditch in the median. When the truck was uprighted, the fuel tank ruptured.

Fuel was released onto the roadway and drained into the ditch, which then discharged into a nearby stream.

A private hazardous material cleanup company is currently on scene, along with a representative from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

The affected eastbound lanes of Holland Road/Route 58 are expected to remain closed for an additional several hours as hazmat clean-up efforts continue.

Public Works crews will be placing detour signage in the area.