HAMPDEN, Maine — Cleanup is reportedly complete after a fuel truck crashed Sunday, rolling over multiple times and spilling about 1,000 gallons of gasoline into a dirt embankment in Hampden.
The driver was not injured in the crash, Hampden fire Lt. Chris Liepold told NEWS CENTER Maine by email Monday.
The crash occurred at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday in the area of 1400 Carmel Road North, also known as Route 69, in Hampden, when officials were called to the area for a reported rollover of a fuel tanker truck, according to an email from the fire department.
The truck, estimated to be carrying about 10,800 gallons of gasoline, reportedly rolled over multiple times and came to rest at the dirt shoulder of the roadway. About 1,000 gallons of gasoline was believed to have spilled from one of the cells, the fire department said. A second tank was also seriously damaged but remained intact and did not spill gasoline.
By approximately 9 a.m. Sunday, the spill had been "mitigated and contained," and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection determined "no hazard to the public with successful offloading of the product completed" at about 2 p.m.
The fire department requested assistance from the Hermon Fire Department, Newburgh Fire Department, Maine Air National Guard Fire Department, Orono Fire Department Regional Hazardous Materials Team with Maine Emergency Management Agency, as well as help from the Maine Environmental Protection, Hampden Public Works Department, Hampden Police Department, Maine State Police, Gardiner Construction, and Bouchard and Sons Towing, the release stated.
A local resident is also credited with helping officials during the crash cleanup and spill containment efforts.
The crash is being investigated by the Maine State Police, and the Maine DEP was expected to return to the scene Monday for "final remediation and removal of any contaminated soil," the release stated.