Tanker carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline flips on US 19 in Clearwater, emergency crews say
CLEARWATER, Fla. - A tanker carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline flipped on US 19 near Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard in Clearwater Friday evening, city officials said.
Clearwater police and firefighters said the crash happened at around 8:30 p.m., and prompted a hazardous material call in the southbound access lanes of US 19 in front of Congo River Golf.
The driver of the tanker was trying to make a U-Turn when it flipped onto its side and began leaking out onto the road, according to city officials.
Crews on the scene tried to contain and mitigate the spill. Crews don't believe the leak made it into any storm drains, but, out of an abundance of caution, evacuated Congo River Golf and a nearby hotel.
Multiple agencies from across Pinellas County and Tampa responded to help clean up the spill, according to Clearwater officials. They do believe about 1,200 gallons leaked from the vehicle, and crews drained the rest of the gasoline inside the tanker before they could move it.
Officials said they were able to build a dam to prevent the leak from going any further, and they do believe it has stopped.
Courtesy: City of Clearwater
The driver of the truck, 47-year-old Gary Bienek Jr., was cited for careless driving. He suffered a minor injury after the crash and went to an emergency room for treatment.
The southbound access road south of Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard was closed Friday night, but reopened around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday.