Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 7, 1995 TAG: 9510080004
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HENRY LENGTH: Medium
A tractor-trailer rolled over on a treacherous curve of U.S. 220 at Virginia 605 about 7:30 a.m. Friday. The truck was hauling 6,800 gallons of toluene - a highly volatile and flammable colorless liquid that produces a poisonous gas as it burns.
When the truck turned over and the trailer hit the pavement, sparks from the rig's steel wheels are believed to have sent the toluene up in flames, State Trooper Danny Tibbs said.
As the trailer exploded and the toluene seeped into a culvert, driver Norman Craig, 45, of Wilmington, N.C., crawled through his rig's front windshield and scrambled to safety.
Craig was treated and released from Franklin Memorial Hospital.
``He's a lucky man,'' Tibbs said. ``When he got out, he said, he looked behind him and the rig was smoldering, too.''
About 11:30 Friday morning, the metal carcass of the truck still smoldered. A large tree behind it was charred from its base to its top.
Flaky white remains of firefighting foam lay on the ground.
State troopers, Franklin County sheriff's deputies, hazardous-material workers, reporters and onlookers talked about how quickly the accident was brought under control.
All four lanes of U.S. 220 were closed for three hours, but were reopened and traffic was flowing smoothly by 11 a.m.
Webster and others at the scene gave this account:
Leah Philpott, a clerk at the Log Cabin Food Market near the accident site, called 911 after a woman burst into the store and described the accident.
``The trees were crackin' and snappin,''' Philpott said. ``There was so much black smoke that it felt like it was getting dark around here.''
Fire and rescue workers from the Fork Mountain community rushed to the scene. Mark Sink, captain of the Fire Department, was one of the first to arrive. He said he and others had on full turnout gear, including gas masks.
The burning toluene that had seeped into the culvert rolled underneath the road and shot skyward when it entered a small creek on the other side.
Webster said the fumes from the substance were catching fire in the air and scorching trees as toxic smoke billowed to the northwest toward Henry.
Hazardous-material workers dropped barriers in the creek to contain the spill. Foam was sprayed on the burning toluene.
Across the road, Webster said, workers had beat down the truck fire with foam enough to let a front-end loader drop dirt into the culvert to stop it up.
The weather also cooperated - it was calm Friday morning. Webster said the problem could have worsened if winds had been strong.
Everyone within a half-mile of the wreck site was evacuated, Webster said.
That included three busloads of Henry Elementary School pupils who were quickly rerouted to Ferrum Elementary just minutes after the wreck happened.
Ferrum Principal Sandra Ruff said about 150 Henry students arrived about 9 a.m. They stayed on the buses until their teachers arrived by cars.
``I think the key thing here with the children is to stay calm,'' Ruff said. ``The way it was approached was to have them do something they would enjoy.''
Two people who saw the wreck and a deputy were treated after complaining of throat discomfort, but no major injuries were reported.
The small stream the toluene seeped into was not traced to a major county tributary and the spill was contained quickly, Webster said.
Tibbs said the truck was traveling above the posted maximum safe speed for the U.S. 220 curve. Craig was charged with reckless driving and with failure to maintain proper control of his truck, Tibbs said. He was wearing a seat belt.
Craig was hauling the toluene from Wilmington to an Ashland Chemical distribution facility in Roanoke.
Toluene - an agent to make paint - is used as an industrial solvent by various companies. It's also an ingredient of TNT, or trinitrotoluene.
Craig, who drives for East Coast Carriers of Goldsboro, N.C., has traveled U.S. 220 many times, said Marrow Smith, the company's general manager.
Of the company's eight drivers in its Wilmington terminal, Craig ranks No.2 in seniority, Marrow said.
Ashland Chemical and East Coast Carriers sent representatives to the accident site Friday to investigate.
Back at the Log Cabin store, Leah Philpott and others discussed the excitement.
``I was glad to hear that the driver was all right,'' Philpott said. ``I thought he was gone. Boy, I don't think this neighborhood has ever experienced so much commotion.''
Staff writer S.D. Harrington contributed information to this story.
by CNB