Tanker Accident Spills Hot Tar in Royersford
From Sanatoga Post:
ROYERSFORD PA – A motor vehicle accident that occurred Thursday (May 7, 2020) shortly before 12:30 p.m. in the westbound lanes of U.S. Route 422, between its Collegeville and Royersford interchanges, caused a tractor-tanker hauling hot tar to spill its load into the highway’s center median and brought a dozen first-responder teams to the scene, according to the Royersford Fire Department website.
One individual was injured, the department reported, and transported by Friendship Ambulance “to a local trauma center for continued care.” The victim was not identified by name, age or hometown.
Passers-by who claimed to have seen the accident reported, on the 422 Sucks Facebook page, that another truck had pulled from a shoulder onto the highway into the oncoming tanker’s path. They also claimed the tanker burst through protective guards and into the median where it overturned and came to a stop. None of the claims so far have been independently verified.
Other commenters on 422 Sucks said they were “horrified” by the appearance of the truck’s twisted wreckage (above).
Units from Royersford and Upper Providence Township fire departments arrived and shut down travel in both directions for an extended period, and traffic was diverted to nearby roads. Additional fire police units also closed all access points at the interchanges, the Royersford department stated.
The liquid tar proved to be a challenge, and Montgomery County’s hazardous materials team was requested to help deal with the spill. “Some of the spilled contents pooled in the median” then dripped and ran down onto Mingo Road beneath 422, the Royersford department noted. Mingo was closed from Fruit Farm Road to Yeager Road.
Emergency crews, private agencies, and the county coordinated an immediate mitigation plan to stop the tar flow using sand to create physical barriers. Fire crews both on 422 and below on Mingo Road were provided with trucks of sand that was dumped and then shoveled by hand to stem the tar’s movement. Other resources were deployed to begin a clean-up.
Several tow trucks were called to bring the tanker upright so it could be removed.
Also responding to the scene were members of the Black Rock Volunteer Fire Company, Trappe Fire Company, the county Incident Support Team, and Pennsylvania State Police, as well as fire police from Royersford, Black Rock, Collegeville, the Limerick Fire Department, Lower Providence Fire Company, Liberty Fire Company, and Ridge Fire Company.
Top photo by Jeffrey Wentworth; interior photo by Jon Tangrati, both via 422 Sucks on Facebook