Orlando, FL : Tanker carrying gasoline overturned on Interstate 4 in Orlando early Thursday August 13th 2015
A tanker carrying gasoline overturned on Interstate 4 in Orlando early Thursday, forcing officials to close the interstateAll lanes of I-4 east were closed at Amelia Street, but authorities reopened one lane just before 7:30 a.m. and all lanes just before noon.
Police said the tanker was heading east on I-4 when it collided with a car near the Ivanhoe Boulevard exit. The tanker struck the guardrail and overturned into the grass on the shoulder of the highway.
The driver of the tanker was able to free himself but was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Police said the driver of the other car was located on I-4 several miles away and was uninjured.
Crews worked to transfer the fuel from the tanker to a different vehicle.
Drivers told Local 6 they were stuck in traffic for over an hour and because of the backup, late for work.
"I've been sitting in traffic (for) almost an hour and a half since before the Amway. They got everybody off at Colonial and we're trying to go this way and it looks like they opened up the freeway again but they're all stopped," said Allison Brandt.
Police kept one lane open during the clean-up. However, for about an hour, they shut down all lanes while hazmat crews worked to siphon fuel off of the overturned tank. During that time, people were directed off I-4 at Kaley Street.
Brandt says she got on I-4 east at Millenia and was trying to get to Maitland Boulevard for work. Like Brandt, many drivers tried to get off the interstate only to find local streets just as backed up.
Source:
I-4 reopens in Orlando after tanker overturns