I-5 Big Rig Wreck Spills Diesel

Todd Slaughter

Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 655

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REDDING, Calif. - The Recorded Searchlight reported that a tractor trailer rig carrying rolls of printing paper wrecked in the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near the Vollmers exit this morning. Neither the driver nor passenger was injured.

The truck apparently lost control during the recent rains and struck the raised concrete divider, rupturing its fuel tank and spilling approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel onto the roadway. The California Highway Patrol indicated that approximately 25% of the fuel was contained.

This wreck occurred in an area commonly referred to as the Sacramento River Canyon. I-5 courses along the river in this area for over thirty miles. Drainage from I-5 is directly into the river.

Hopefully, the fuel involved in this spill dissipated sufficiently in the surrounding soils and did not reach the water in significant concentrations. Several years ago, this same area of the river was poisoned when a derailed train car spilled herbacide directly into the waters, killing most of the river's world-class fishery.