| From the Carroll County Times
A crash involving a tanker truck that spilled 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel and sent two people to Shock Trauma could've been much, much worse, police said.
The incident occurred just after noon Wednesday when a fuel tanker, owned by Westminster-based Bosley Oil, Inc., struck a Buick just in front of the Royal Farms store on Md. 140 near Bethel Road, causing the tanker to overturn crossing an embankment and coming within feet of striking active gas and diesel fuel pumps, also well as a propane hauler that was parked in the lot of the Royal Farms.
How it got in there, it's purely a miracle that it didn't strike an active fuel pump and cause an explosion," said Lt. Jim DeWees, commander of the Westminster barrack of the Maryland State Police.
"If you would've looked at it, you would've thought it unloaded the gas there and it made a U-turn and overturned," he said. "It's just enough room, literally, to get that fuel tank on its side.
"Minus the environmental impact, this could've been a lot worse."
Police said the fuel tanker, driven by Richard Donald Eckard, 62, of Taneytown, was traveling west on Md. 140 through the intersection at Bethel Road when the car driven by Carl F. Frock Jr., 79, of Westminster, made a left turn in front of it.
Eckard was unable to avoid striking the Buick by steering to the right, police said, and went off the roadway into the parking lot of the Royal Farms, turning on its side.
The drivers of both vehicles were taken by the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Eckard was discharged at 5:30 p.m. and Frock was listed in critical condition at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The fuel tanker struck a large sign in the parking lot which pierced the front chamber of the fuel tanker holding about 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Some of the fuel spilled into the drainage system at the rear of the store, police said.
Md. 140 was closed for nearly two hours while police and other state and local agencies responded to the incident. Area businesses were evacuated by first responders until the area was deemed safe.
MDE and state troopers were continuing to work at the scene as of 3 p.m. Wednesday and were expected to be there for several hours until the tanker is removed.
"Getting tanker out of the parking lot is going to be pretty intricate," DeWees said.
Once removed, state police's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division will conduct a full inspection of the tanker.
Troopers are still conducting their investigation to determine who was at fault. Weather likely wasn't a factor in the collision, DeWees said. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to contact Trooper Granville Fairbanks at 410-386-3000.
Reach staff writer S. Wayne Carter Jr. at 410-857-7879 or wayne.carter@carrollcountytimes.com. |
