All lanes in both directions on a portion of the QEW in Niagara Region were closed for a short period early Friday morning after a fuel tanker truck rollover, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
The crash happened on a side road in Beamsville, Ont. between Ontario Street and Victoria Avenue around 8 a.m. and initially closed only the Fort Erie bound lanes plus South Service Road at Merritt.
OPP says the vehicle, capable of carrying over 50,000 litres of diesel and gasoline, was leaking fuel on the roadway and into the environment.
“Probably 30 per cent of it has leaked into the ditch,” Sgt. Kerry Schmdit said in a social media post at the scene.
He went on to say three vehicles in all are initially believed to have been involved in the crash, including one Schmidt characterized as “an aggressive black Mercedes” that failed to remain after the collision.
“That vehicle … caused the collision with this white SUV, which then collided with the tractor-trailer, sending them both into the ditch,” Schmidt explained.
The driver of the truck was sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
There were no other serious injuries.
Several lanes towards Toronto were reopened around 10:30 a.m. after firefighters neutralized the fuel with an anti-ignition foam.
Emergency crews also vacuumed and cleaned up some fuel that had leaked “underneath the QEW” towards Lake Ontario, according to Schmidt.
He went on to say another full closure of the highway is possible sometime on Saturday for more cleanup.
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