Truck crashes into Highway 167 overpass; driver hurt, area evacuated
Published 11:56 pm Tuesday, December 15, 2009
SUMNER — Washington state troopers reacted cautiously when a tanker truck crashed into the side of a Highway 167 overpass near Sumner on Tuesday night. The impact sheared off the top of the truck cab and ripped off the tank. The driver was critically injured.
Troopers first thought the spilled chemical was liquid nitrogen and Sgt. Sam Ramirez said they evacuated about a quarter-mile in every direction. The state Department of Transportation said the cargo was actually liquid carbon dioxide.
The crash at about 6:30 p.m. backed up evening traffic for more than two hours. Southbound lanes reopened just before 9 p.m. and northbound lanes followed about a half-hour later.
Troopers say the driver, a 46-year-old Auburn man, was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. They don’t know what caused him to veer off the road.
