An overturned tanker truck spilled thousands of gallons of fuel onto a Queens roadway, according to officials, shutting down a major thoroughfare leading to JFK Airport.
The tanker overturned just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Rockaway Turnpike and East Avenue near the Meadowmere neighborhood, the FDNY said. Security video obtained by NBC New York showed the truck making a left turn and tipping over onto its side in the process.
A large emergency response from fire and EMS personnel rushed to the scene, spraying foam on the ground and around the crash site to deal with any possible spilled fuel.
The overturned truck has a 12,400 gallon capacity, and at the time of the crash was holding about 8,500 gallons, said Nassau County Fire Chief Michael Utaro. One compartment broke and about 2,000 gallons of gasoline spilled onto the roadway, pouring into storm drains and into the canal below that ultimately leads to Jamaica Bay, Utaro said.
Emergency personnel were able to get the leak under control. Trucks were coming to the scene to vacuum up the remaining gas and get the tanker back upright.
Nassau County police said all lanes of Rockaway Turnpike from Peninsula Boulevard to Brookville Boulevard were closed in both directions as a result of the turnover.
Three people received medical attention at the scene, including the 42-year-old truck driver, but none were taken to the hospital, according to Utaro. The cleanup was ongoing and was expected to last hours.
