Emergency kept in check
A tanker carrying more than 7,000 gallons of fuel overturned Thursday morning along Connellsville’s main artery. A small fire ripped into a series of explosions that sent flames through the West Side of the city. A fireball shot hundreds of feet into the air. It was a recipe for disaster. If not for the quick response of Connellsville’s and surrounding municipalities’ emergency responders, undoubtedly the situation could have grown out of hand. Police, firefighters, rescuers and hazardous materials experts – many of who volunteer their services – kept the fire and fuel spill from becoming a tragedy that could easily have turned deadly.
The truck’s driver Wayne Bocz of Homer City said he had just crossed the Memorial Bridge and was heading into the sharp curve before the Crawford Avenue intersection when he felt the truck begin to roll. Miraculously, Bocz, uninjured when the truck flipped, was able to escape from the cab before the first explosion. For a busy stretch of highway it is incredibly lucky that no other trucks or cars were caught up in the crash and explosion and that no one was killed or injured.
Emergency crews acted quickly to evacuate nearby homes and businesses and to cut off power so that the potential for more explosions from fuel leakage did not occur. They also worked diligently to keep contamination of the Youghiogheny River at a minimum. The citizens of Connellsville are fortunate to have had a team of men and women trained and ready to spring to action at times such as these.
A simple thank you for a job well done seems not enough. So remember this the next time a local firefighter stands with a boot collecting money or asks for support for the volunteer departments.