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Wreck, fuel spill tie up busy road
By ED QUIOCO, Times Staff Writer EAST LAKE -- In a smaller version of this week's massive fuel spill and traffic jam in Clearwater, a wreck Thursday afternoon tied up East Lake's main road for hours while local, county and state agencies cleaned up a diesel fuel spill. The 80 gallons of fuel spilled in the collision between a Mack tow truck and a Ford Mustang was a fraction of the 8,000 gallons involved Wednesday morning at U.S. 19 and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. That accident crippled one of the county's busiest intersections for eight hours. In East Lake, Thursday's wreck caused commuting headaches on a thoroughfare that carries more than 50,000 cars and trucks a day. Rescue officials worried that the diesel fuel on the road would cause slippery conditions for drivers. A Pinellas County hazardous materials team based in Palm Harbor placed oil absorbant materials on the road to soak up as much fuel as possible. "When you get diesel fuel spilling on the asphalt, it makes things real slick," said Palm Harbor Fire Rescue acting Lt. Mike Sakal. "Basically it becomes an oil slick. We know it's an inconvenience, but it's better off to be safe and avoid additional accidents." East Lake Road was closed in both directions for about an hour after the accident was reported at 12:58 p.m. After that, the southbound lanes remained closed for at least another hour while traffic was diverted to Tarpon Lake Boulevard. Officials initially opened only one northbound lane, resulting in a backup that stretched for at least a mile. The diesel fuel also spilled on the median and the grassy side of the road, contaminating the ground. Rescue officials said a portion of the roadside near the guardrail probably needs to be excavated to get rid of the contamination. Pinellas dump trucks arrived hauling dirt that would be used to help contain the spill. In addition to Palm Harbor's crew, officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection, East Lake Fire Rescue, Pinellas County, the Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the accident. The collision occurred when a southbound Ford Mustang, driven by Adrienne Raimer, 20, of Palm Harbor tried to make a left on Ridgemoor Boulevard. She crossed into the path of a northbound tow truck driven by 27-year-old Dodger Davis of Hudson, said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Hollis. The Mustang spun for about 175 feet and the truck skidded to the southbound lanes of East Lake Road, Hollis said. The collision ruptured the truck's fuel tank. Raimer was ticketed for violating the truck's right of way and was taken to Mease Countryside Hospital with injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening. She was treated and released, hospital officials said. Although the vehicles were cleared from the roadway, rescue officials restricted traffic for hours making sure as much of the diesel was cleaned up from the surface of the road. With storm clouds above, officials were concerned that rain would make road conditions even worse. "The danger is you lose traction with your vehicles because it becomes so slick," said East Lake district Chief Dennis Hejl.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks Letters |
