A semi-truck hauling hydrated lime rolled over on State Route 89 near Del Rio Ranch Road in Chino Valley just before 11 p.m. Thursday, leaving the cab hanging off the edge of a bridge with the driver still trapped inside. The crash happened just north of Prescott Valley, scattering the hazardous white powder across the surrounding area.
Firefighters arriving on scene found the truck's cab dangling over the bridge, according to the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, as reported by Arizona's Family. Crews pulled the driver from the cab, decontaminated them on site, and transported them to a nearby hospital, the outlet reported.
With hydrated lime scattered across the area, responders set up a perimeter around the crash site as a safety precaution. Hydrated lime can cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation on contact, and crews decontaminated the driver before taking them to the hospital.
Firefighter Treated for Irritation, Released Same Night
One CAFMA firefighter was taken to a hospital for a precautionary evaluation after experiencing irritation from exposure to the hydrated lime, per the same account. That firefighter was released later that night and returned to work, according to the report.
The response drew in a wide swath of regional agencies. CAFMA was assisted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Chino Valley Police Department, Copperstate Ambulance, the Prescott Fire Department, and the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, the station noted.
Not the First Truck Rollover on This Stretch of SR 89
This is not the first time a tractor-trailer has gone down on State Route 89 through Chino Valley. A separate single-vehicle rollover involving a tractor-trailer hauling dry concrete mix closed the southbound highway for about two hours after the truck ended up on its side at the Kalinich Lane roundabout, according to gcmaz.com. Police in that incident said it appeared speed was a contributing factor, and the highway reopened around 1:41 p.m., per the same report.
Both involved commercial trucks losing control on the same Chino Valley corridor, underscoring the hazards heavy-truck traffic poses on that stretch of highway.
