May 31st, 2010 | 
Author: TYLER, TX – A fuel tanker truck overturned and collided with a semi trailer truck Friday, May 23, 2010, in a busy area of Smith County, Texas, spilling a large amount of gas and causing serious traffic delays. The truck accident occurred at the juncture of Troup Highway and Loop 323 in the city of Tyler, TX. The area is in the northeast section of the state, about 98 miles southeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro region, 235 miles northeast of Austin and 100 miles west of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Tyler city workers and Haz-mat crews shoveled dirt and foam on the spilled gas in order to contain it and keep it from spreading in the area.
At around 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon a tanker truck carrying 8500 gallons of gasoline was traveling in Tyler, TX. The tanker truck belonged to Duncan Thompson Transport, based in Atlanta, TX, and had left a nearby refinery headed to Whitehouse, TX with a delivery.
The tanker truck had reached the intersection of Troup Highway and Loop 323 and was attempting to make a turn when the unidentified driver lost control of the rig. The tanker truck flipped over on its side during the turn and then crashed into another semi trailer truck owned by TNi Trucking, based out of Missouri.
The impact of the truck accident and the rollover damaged the tanker and it began to spill fuel out onto the highway. Authorities estimated the tanker truck lost about 300 gallons of fuel, which filled the air with a heavy gas smell and created a potentially hazardous situation. Local officials evacuated and closed several businesses near the truck accident site including Braun’s, KFC, Kidd Jones Exxon, and Walgreens.
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The drivers of the two trucks were able to escape from their 18 wheelers without serious injuries. No other persons or vehicles were involved in the two-truck collision, however other accidents happened afterwards as roads were closed and traffic backed up for miles.
Tyler city workers and Haz-mat crews shoveled dirt and foam on the spilled gas in order to contain it and keep it from spreading in the area. Another tanker came to the site and the remaining fuel was transferred from the overturned truck. Heavy tow equipment was brought in to get the overturned tanker back up and remove the two disabled 18 wheelers from the truck accident scene.
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All lanes on the Troup Highway were shut down during the clean-up and investigation of the truck accident. Several westbound and eastbound lanes of Loop 323 were also closed for hours after the collision. The truck accident also affected traffic on Paluxy, University, and Golden Road. The closures caused massive traffic delays on one of the busiest travel routes in Tyler at the height of the afternoon commuter rush.
At about 10:30 p.m. Friday night authorities had reopened all lanes of the Troup Highway and the westbound lanes of Loop 323. They were keeping two of the Loop’s eastbound lanes closed while work continued, and would likely not reopen them until sometime Saturday.
Investigators working on the truck accident believe speed may have been a factor in the overturn and crash, and the driver of the semi tanker truck was issued a citation for “Failure to Control Speed”.
Other charges may be pending based on the final conclusion of the truck accident.
For more information about Texas trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact nationwide truck accident lawyers Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP for expert advice. For a free initial consultation, talk to a TX truck accident lawyer at 800.773.6770.
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