Truck Spills Acid on Texas Freeway
Decontamination crews worked for eight hours Sunday to clean up 10,000 gallons of acid that spilled after a tanker truck skidded on icy Interstate 10 in Baytown.
Department of Public Safety spokesman David Wells said the eastbound tanker was carrying 40,000 gallons of hydrochloric acid solution from Freeport to Beaumont.
Driver Leon Tremonte of Freeport told officers the truck hit ice on the roadway at about 6 a.m. and skidded into a guardrail. The tanker struck the guardrail and ruptured before bouncing into a ditch and spilling about a fourth of its load.
Wells said police blocked off the area and a hazardous materials squad was rushed in to clean up the spilled acid.
Tremonte suffered only minor injuries and was treated for breathing problems after exposure to the caustic material.
Wells said the spilled acid was loaded onto other vehicles and the wreckage was cleared by 2 p.m., enabling troopers to reopen the busy freeway between Houston and Louisiana.
No other injuries were reported.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
