Every time a semi rumbles past your car on the interstate, you have to wonder what they are hauling. Many times the truck is carrying chemicals or other dangerous substances that if spilled could harm you and the environment. This was the case on Tuesday morning in Portsmouth, Virginia (VA) when a tractor-trailer crashed on I-264 between the Victory Boulevard and Greenwood Drive exits.
The truck ran off the road and into the westbound lane before overturning and catching on fire. Thank goodness there was no one in the opposing lane. A head-on collision with a tractor trailer is almost always a fatal auto accident. We know this because, as experienced auto accident attorneys, we’ve helped people who have been hurt in truck wrecks throughout Hampton Roads, Virginia (VA). Crews rushed to the scene to put the fire out.
But the fire wasn’t the only thing that first responders had to worry about, a police spokesperson says the truck carried blood plasma and the crash area is now considered a hazmat situation as crews continue to work to clear the scene. I hope that none of the first responders were exposed to the blood and suffer any long term effects from the material. Because according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration about 200 hazmat trucks a year are involved in fatal crashes and 5000 in nonfatal crashes, that’s a lot of opportunity for people to be injured by dangerous chemicals. If you or a loved one suffers any ill effects from a hazmat incident, notify emergency personnel at once. The quicker medical and decontamination treatment can be started, the better the chances there will be no long-term effects.
CA.