Interstate 95 reopens following fuel spill
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Spill Snags Traffic
A tanker truck spills jet fuel on Interstate 95 in Attleboro.
NBC 10
Crews pour foam on Interstate 95 south in Attleboro to contain jet fuel spilled when a tanker truck rolled over.
Published: November 6, 2008
Updated: November 6, 2008
ATTLEBORO, Mass.—The southbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Attleboro reopened Thursday afternoon, hours after a tanker truck rolled over and spilled jet fuel on the highway.
The tanker collided with a car and rolled over at about 4:45 a.m. Three people were hurt.
The truck spilled about one-third of the 11,000 gallons of jet fuel it was carrying. State police said environmental officials were assessing the impact of the fuel that leaked into soil and storm drains.
Officials evacuated 14 nearby homes as a precaution, but the order was lifted at about 1 p.m.
“The evacuation was in case it ignited,“ Attleboro Fire Chief Ron Churchill said.
The highway was initially closed in both directions, but the northbound lanes reopened at about 6:30 a.m. Traffic began flowing southbound at about 3:30 p.m.
Traffic Report:
Interstate 95
State police said Andrew Tavarez, 21, of East Providence, swerved to avoid a slow-moving car in the middle lane, hit a bridge abutment and crashed into the cab of the tanker truck.
Tavarez, Hope Amaral, who was a passenger in his car, and truck driver Michael Cowan, 37, of Northbridge, were taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence with minor injures.
The jet fuel was being delivered to T.F. Green Airport in Warwick.
Reader Reactions
This accident was on the south bound side of rt 95. This was miles before the banned pawtucket bridge. 295 is an alt route, not mandatory.. just suggested cause it might be easier depending on your starting location. Only thing thats mandatory is vehicles that are over 2 axels must exit before the bridge ( IE: exit 2A, RI-30 or RI 29 ).
HEY Sherib…you don’t know what your talking about…did you read what happened???(don’t want to point fingers ) Right!!! The car lost control hit the bridge the hit the truck causing the wreck…and as far as the 2 axle law there is a detour off 95 at exit 30 in Pawtucket well after the point this accident happened or you can use 295 if you are heading south of Warwick…people always want to blame the Truck even when its plain to see it wasn’t the fault of the truck!!!
I live off of Read St. in Attleboro, the area that was most effected by this unfortunate accident. I would like to commend the Attleboro Police Department for a job well done with the traffic diversion on Read St as well was the various on and off ramps effected by this.
My comment is, although some accidents are unavoidable and I am not pointing a finger at anyone, did that tanker truck have a right to be on Rte 95 in the first place. There is a strict ban on any vehicle with over 2 axles using the bridge in Pawtucket (over the Blackstone River)...shouldn’t this truck have been on 295?
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