Disaster Averted After Tanker Overturns

The flammable liquid poured out of the overturned fuel truck as if the highway was being irrigated. Ethanol gushed from the tanker owned by an Akron trucking company, soaking the concrete and nearby soil.

Ohio State Highway Patrol investigators said the rig should not have been on the road. Two of the truck’s 10 brakes were defective, they said, and the 18-wheeler also had a flat tire. The only person injured in the Dublin crash was the truck driver, who reportedly lost control of the truck in a traffic circle, causing the rig to overturn.

Fortunately, there were no other injuries, but the potential for tragedy was clearly there.

The Akron fuel transport company was involved in a fiery crash earlier this year when another tanker overturned and caught fire on I-270 South directly beneath an I-70 overpass. Roaring flames were fed by 10,000 gallons of fuel, news reports at the time stated.

The trucking company will reportedly be presented with a bill that could exceed $2 million for damages.

These incidents illustrate vivid dangers such as roiling smoke and flames, but also unseen threats such as defective brakes and drivers insufficiently trained to cope with ordinary road features. Let’s hope this company and others hauling hazardous materials increase their safety efforts so that fewer crashes occur and fewer truckers and other motorists are injured.

People hurt in collisions with large commercial trucks often suffer severe injuries that require surgeries and long-term medical treatments. When the trucking company ignores routine maintenance and driver training, an experienced Akron personal injury attorney holds them accountable for the harm caused.