This SUV vs. Box Truck MVA on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights required a Haz-Mat team to respond after the truck’s fuel tank was ruptured, pouring its contents onto the roadway.
What may otherwise have not been a very interesting motor vehicle accident turned into a dramatic episode on the morning of Monday January 21, 2008. On a day when temperatures reached no higher than the mid-20’s and a brisk wind made it feel even colder, Station 44, The Seaside Heights Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a call where a vehicle was leaking gas. Upon arrival at the scene, it was determined that a green Jeep Cherokee had somehow collided with what appeared to be a parked box truck. (There was no immediate explanation of what caused the accident, which appears to have happened at a very odd angle. Seaside Heights Police Patrolman Tony Molinaro is investigating). Had the Cherokee struck the large vehicle at any other location, it probably would have been far less serious. However, the box truck was hit dead on to its gas tank, with a resulting spillage of fuel all over the roadway. This box truck’s tank must have been quite full, as fuel was pouring out of tank, easily visible from a block away. Concern was not only for the potential inflammability of the fuel, but also for the environment. The tank’s contents could have potentially leaked into the storm drain, an environmental issue that is well-known in this watershed area. Station 44 members were soon on the scene, and later the Berkeley Haz-Mat team and Meridian clean-up also arrived. A special dry substance called “Speedi-Dry” was placed on the puddle to contain the spill. The whole event took about an hour from start to finish.
