Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
ST. GEORGE — A truck driver was essentially unharmed after an accident left his semi truck mangled on I-15.
The accident occurred Wednesday near mile marker 20 on I-15. A semi truck pulling a tanker full of hot crude oil tumbled off the freeway, police said.
The driver was traveling southbound when he went off the road and rolled down the median embankment. The cab was separated from its frame, and the tanker was extremely damaged. The tanker landed near the cab and spilled a large amount of oil.
The damage rendered the cab unrecognizable, and police said it was hard to find the driver's seat or the seatbelt.
Police said they do not know if the driver was wearing a seatbelt or how he was able to exit the vehicle after the crash. Witnesses saw the driver walking up the hill from the crash, and police said his injuries are limited to some cuts.
UHP said the tanker was carrying about 6,000 gallons of crude oil. They estimate that 4,000 gallons spilled and 2,000 gallons remain in the tanker.
UDOT and the St. George Fire Department are working on containment, and a cleanup crew is en route from Las Vegas. Cleanup is estimated to take one week, and there are no environmental concerns at this time, UHP said.
The freeway is open to all traffic.
