Truck Crashes and Spills Hazardous Waste Shutting Down 1-80

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(TNS) – A portion of Interstate 80 west in Luzerne County remained closed Friday following a three-vehicle wreck Thursday night, as authorities investigated and crews cleaned up a hazardous-waste spill, authorities said.

Pennsylvania State Police at Hazleton said the crash involving two commercial vehicles and a car occurred about 11:40 p.m. Thursday at mile 265.3 in Dennison Township. One of the commercial vehicles was carrying hazardous material waste when it lost control, overturned and spilled its contents, according to state police.

The overturned vehicle then blocked all lanes of travel, prompting a highway closure — from mile marker 273 to Exit 262 —which remained shut down Friday morning. State police expect the closure to last several hours throughout the day. Traffic alerts currently show a disruption to traffic in the area of the accident.

The other two vehicles became involved in the accident when a second commercial vehicle driver didn’t see the overturned vehicle and collided with it, police said. The car also was unable to stop, police said, and struck one of the commercial vehicles.

The driver of the car had to be rescued and was airlifted to an area hospital with serious injuries, according to police. The drivers of both commercial vehicles were taken to area hospitals for medical evaluations and later released with minor injuries, police said.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said the department’s Emergency Response Team was working at the crash in the Drums area of Luzerne County. The tractor-trailer that crashed was “carrying an unknown amount of material that contains asbestos which spilled on the roadway and the side of road,” she said in a statement.

“DEP Air Quality staff and a cleanup contractor at the scene are overseeing the proper retrieval and bagging of the material, which will then be sent to an approved disposal site,” the DEP statement continued, adding that the crash remained under investigation by Pennsylvania State Police.

Also responding to the scene were the Pennsylvania State Police Troop N Forensic Analysis and Reconstruction Specialist Unit; Troop N Forensic Services Unit; Valley Regional Fire Dept. and Emergency Medical Services; Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Dorrance Emergency Medical Services; Freeland Emergency Medical Services; and Butler Township Police Department, as well as a towing company.