A truck carrying cosmetic powder collided head-on with a tanker loaded with human waste on South Park Avenue near Audubon, Pennsylvania around 6 a.m. today, killing the tanker driver.
Authorities are still unsure what caused the accident that caused the trucks to spill their cargo and catch fire. Police say that the tanker driver became trapped inside his cab and died shortly after the wreck. The truck driver was not hurt during the accident.
Hazmat teams responded to the fatal accident. No sewage leaked from the tanker, but several drums of white powder used as a base for cosmetics spilled onto the roadway. Firefighters initially used dry suppression techniques to deal with the fire, but then switched to water. Crews were able to load the sewage onto another truck and send it to a treatment plant.
A large amount of white powder spilled into the roadway after the accident. Officials expect “a protracted closure of the roadway” on South Park Avenue while the accident is investigated, the damage from the fire is assessed, and the white powder is cleaned up.
Sources:
NBC 10
The Mercury