Crews clean up spill after truck crash
SALTLICK TWP. – Fayette County HAZMAT crews will continue cleaning up an area of Poplar Run Creek today that was contaminated by a fuel spill Tuesday after a two-vehicle collision on Route 711 involving a tri-axle truck and Chevrolet Suburban. According to state police, Bryon Clark of Normalville was driving north when he stopped to make a left turn and was struck from behind by the tri-axle, driven by Clyde Feige of Somerset.
The two vehicles went over an embankment and into Poplar Run Creek, which crosses underneath Route 711.
Police said fuel oil spilled from Feige’s truck into the creek, and the load of asphalt Feige was hauling was dumped into the stream. Commercial and Residential Asphalt Co. of Holsopple owns the tri-axle.
Feige, Clark and Clark’s passenger, Oliver Clark of Normalville – all of whom were wearing seatbelts – suffered moderate injuries and were taken to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, police said.
Jim Huhn, HAZMAT deputy, said he was concerned about the petroleum that was being released from the asphalt into the water.
“On a scale from 1 to 10, it’s a 10,” Huhn said.
He anticipated that crews, including a company that was called in to skim diesel fuel off the top of the water, would work throughout the night to help contain the spill.
State Department of Environmental Protection officials could not be reached for comment.
Normalville Volunteer Fire Department was the first to arrive at the scene, assisted by fire departments from Saltlick, Springfield and Chestnut Ridge and officials from Fayette EMS and HAZMAT.
“I knew the spill was big enough to have (HAZMAT) here,” Normalville Fire Chief Mark Bigam said.