NBC Boston reported a van hit a gasoline truck early Monday morning causing gallons of fuel to spill on the street. According to the Boston Fire Department, the van collided with the truck around 3:30 a.m. Monday on the 1100 block of Hyde Park Avenue. According to the department, the crash caused 50-60 gallons of gas to leak onto the street.
According to BFD, the van’s driver and passenger were taken to the hospital by Boston EMS. Following the spill, first responders have been laying absorbents and covering sewer drains. The city’s water department has also responded to the area’s check drains. The tanker was carrying more than 11,000 gallons of fuel when it was hit, but thanks to the driver’s quick thinking, a much larger fuel spill was avoided, according to fire officials.
“He was actually going to offload the gasoline into the gas station when the accident happened, so once he got hit he immediately went into action and offloaded, which it could have been a lot worse if he didn’t, it could have been spilled down Hyde Park Ave and had a lot more of a spill,” Boston Fire Department spokesperson Brian Alkins said. “He was actually very great for us because we could have had a worse disaster here.”
Around 5:30 a.m., fire officials stated that cleanup would take some time and asked drivers to avoid the area during their morning commute on Monday.