Gasoline spilled onto the Massachusetts Turnpike in Auburn late Tuesday night from the punctured fuel tank of a tractor-trailer, authorities said. But despite initial fears from first responders of a large spill from a tanker truck on the state’s chief highway, officials said the situation proved much more manageable.
About 100 gallons of gasoline poured out of a fuel tank that ruptured when the truck hit an identified piece of roadway debris, Auburn Fire Capt. Justin Brigham said.
The initial dispatch to the fire department, Brigham said, indicated a serious fuel spill from a tanker truck carrying gasoline — which would have significant implications on the environment and travel for drivers in the Worcester area.
The Auburn Fire Department posted to Twitter around 11:30 p.m. that Massachusetts State Police had reported a “large spill.”
“But it was not,” Brigham said, gratefully.
In fact, the spill came from the truck itself, which was carrying home goods, dry goods and appliances, he said. An initial investigation points to an object on the road causing a puncture in the wheel, which damaged a metal splash guard, causing a break in the saddle tank — a gas tank that hangs off the side of the truck.
The truck had about 200 gallons of gasoline in its tank, half of which spilled, Brigham said.
State officials from the Department of Environmental Protection dispatched a hazardous materials company to the highway to assist in the cleanup. The Massachusetts State Police and Department of Transportation also responded to the leak, Brigham said.
State Police troopers at the Charlton Barracks said Wednesday morning that the roadway was cleared for drivers.
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