A tanker truck driver is safe after a crash off the Meighan Bridge into the Coosa River Tuesday morning. The situation prompted a multi-agency emergency response and fuel containment effort.
The crash occurred around 10 a.m. on April 28 along U.S. Highway 431 North, according to the Gadsden Fire Department. First responders arrived to find the driver out of the cab and holding onto the trailer portion of the truck. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation, and no serious injuries were reported.
Gadsden Fire Chief Vance Brown said crews were on the scene within 10 minutes and immediately began water rescue and hazardous materials response procedures.
“The tanker was empty, which we’re fortunate for,” Brown said. “The guys are down water right now around the train truss getting booms into the water so that none of that oil goes on downstream.”
Authorities said the impact of the crash separated the tanker from the cab. The tanker floated to the riverbank and was removed Tuesday afternoon, while the cab sank to the bottom of the river and was recovered later that evening.
Officials estimate that between 50 and 200 gallons of diesel fuel from the truck’s tractor portion entered the river, with some of it visible on the water’s surface. Crews deployed containment booms to limit the spread and began cleanup efforts that could take several days.
Etowah County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Slick said they did not know how many gallons of fuel the truck had prior to the crash.
“I’m using worst-case scenario, not knowing what’s actually on the truck itself,” Slick said.
