I-65 North and South shut down near 3rd Avenue South on-ramp due to overturned tanker

An overturned fuel tanker truck has shut down Interstate 65 North and South near the 3rd Avenue South on-ramp in Birmingham.

The accident happened about 7:30 p.m.The Alabama Department of Transportation said the interstate will likely be closed in both directions overnight near University Boulevard as a result.

The driver of the fuel tanker was taken to UAB Hospital, said Birmingham Fire Marshal C.W. Mardis. A woman in another vehicle was also injured.The truck, owned by a Dalton, Ga.-based Spirit Express, LLC, was carrying 8,500 gallons of fuel, Mardis said. The tanker has "a small rupture" and is leaking fuel, Mardis said.

"Right now, we're in the process of trying to stop the leak and clean up the fuel," Mardis said.
As a precaution, some people were forced to leave their cars on the interstate as the spill was contained. They were waiting on a bus until allowed to return to their vehicles.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue has five engine companies, two Hazmat and two decontamination units on the scene.