Semi Tractor-Trailer Spills Ink On I-95
BALTIMORE, Md. (WUSA) - A potential rush hour nightmare in Baltimore has been averted with the reopening of I-95 Thursday morning, following a messy tractor trailer crash and spill Wednesday night.
Sgt. Kirk Perez, spokesman for the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, says the tractor trailer overturned on I-95 at the Ft. McHenry toll plaza around 9:08 p.m., spilling its contents onto the roadway.
According to Sgt. Perez, the truck was hauling 13 large plastic containers filled with a water based additive mixture for concrete. Large amounts of the non-toxic substance spilled onto I-95 when the truck's roof was ripped open in the crash. Two of the containers, which have a capacity of up to 275 gallons, went over the jersey wall and fell onto I-895, which runs underneath I-95 at the crash location.
Baltimore City Fire and Rescue crews, as well as the Maryland Department of Environment responded to the scene of the overturned truck and assessed the spill. Crews also had to clean up leaked fuel and large amounts of debris.
Sgt. Perez says the 46-year-old driver was not injured in the crash but he was taken into custody and charged with several violations, including Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Driving While Impaired by Alcohol. He is also facing a federal charge related to the DUI under Motor Carrier Safety Inspection Regulations.
I-95 was shut down in both directions in the area of exit 57 until just after 4:00 a.m. The containers that fell onto I-895 kept the road closed until approximately 1:00 a.m.