A heating-oil tanker rolled over on Route 1 south in Danvers Monday evening near the Danvers Industrial Park, spilling fuel across the highway and trapping the driver inside the cab. An off-duty Lynnfield deputy fire chief happened to be driving behind the truck when it flipped and rushed to help pull the driver free.
According to WHDH, the off-duty deputy chief was driving behind the tanker when it rolled over, and firefighters said he kicked through the windshield and pulled the driver to safety. The crash was reported around 6:35 p.m. near the Danvers Industrial Park, per masslive.com. First responders then removed the driver from the wreckage and took him to a hospital, the outlet reported.
Accounts differ on how badly the driver was hurt. MassLive's report states the driver's injuries were not considered life-threatening and that no other vehicles were involved in the crash. NBC Boston, however, said officials had not confirmed whether anyone was hurt, noting that no details had been released on what caused the crash or the extent of any injuries.
Spill Shuts Down Route 1 South for Hours
The rollover sent oil spilling across the roadway, though reports disagree on how much. MassLive reported the tanker spilled about 3,000 gallons of heating oil, while the Salem News described the spill as hundreds of gallons of oil on the highway. Police and state environmental officials responded to the scene, according to Patch.
Route 1 south was shut down in the aftermath, with traffic detoured onto Route 62 as crews worked the scene overnight, per the same NBC Boston report. Environmental crews spent hours cleaning up the spill, work that stretched well past midnight before the highway could reopen.
Highway Reopens Before Dawn
Route 1 South reopened around 3 a.m. Tuesday after being closed for several hours, according to the MassLive report. All lanes were back open by Tuesday morning after crews spent the night removing the truck and cleaning up the oil spill, NBC Boston noted.
Authorities had not publicly identified what caused the tanker to leave the road, masslive.com reported. For commuters making the Monday-night drive along Route 1 through Danvers, the rollover and the off-duty rescue that followed offered a reminder of how quickly a routine commute can turn into an emergency response.
