Loose tire causes truck to overturn on I-95, spilling fuel

A wayward tire from a tractor-trailer caused a fuel-tanker to overturn and spill thousands of gallons of diesel fuel on northbound Interstate 95 in Richmond yesterday, police said.

The wreck occurred just before 1 p.m. near the Hermitage Road interchange, closing two northbound lanes for hours, said Virginia State Police Sgt. Tom Cunningham.

A tractor-trailer driven by Kenneth Reynolds, 62, of Spotsylvania County was heading south on I-95 when a tire from the rear driver side came loose and bounced over the concrete barrier wall, Cunningham said. The tire struck the driver-side door of a northbound fuel truck traveling in the right lane, causing it to lose control and overturn, separating the cab from the tank.

The driver of the fuel truck, Gus Carroll Jr., 51, of Richmond, was taken to VCU Medical Center, where he was recovering from nonlife-threatening injuries yesterday, Cunningham said.

Reynolds was charged with operating a vehicle with defective equipment, Cunningham said. Authorities believe that loose lug nuts caused the tire to come off. The lug nuts were loose on at least one other tire on the truck, Cunningham said.

Firefighters and hazardous materials crews from Richmond and Henrico County responded, Cunningham said.

Lt. Shawn L. Jones, Richmond Fire Department spokesman, said that the tanker was carrying 2,700 gallons of diesel fuel, which spilled into a ditch line beside the interstate. Jones said fire crews used dams and dikes to contain the fuel and prevent it from draining into a lake at nearby Joseph Bryan Park.

Jones said a contractor was able to retrieve 2,040 gallons of the fuel. He said the contaminated soil is being monitored by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, which will determine whether the soil needs to be removed.

Contact Melodie N. Martin at (804) 649-6290 or .