An overturned 18-wheeler caused a moderate oil spill around 12 p.m. Monday at the intersection of La Salle and University Parks Drive.
The driver, a 30 to 40-year-old male, made a sharp right-hand turn from University Parks onto La Salle when the vehicle tipped over, said Patrick Kerwin, Assistant Chief of the Waco Fire Department. The exact cause of the accident is not known.
The driver suffered from a fractured femur and several abrasions on his hand, but was conscious and alert before being transported to Baylor Scott and White Medical Center – Hillcrest, Kerwin said. No one else was injured.
“One of our firefighters rode in on the ambulance with him to help provide patient care on the way to the hospital” Kerwin said. “Anytime you have a broken femur, it’s considered a severe injury and has the potential for arteries and other blood vessels to be damaged.”
The truck is owned by Pipeline Carriers Inc., stationed in California, and was transporting sand for construction when the accident occurred. Two fire engines and a hazmat unit were dispatched because of a large oil and Freon spill that came from the truck because of the accident. Emergency responders were able to use the sand from the overturned truck to create a dam that prevented further spreading of the spill.
