Photos by David Stoeckl


October 18, 2002

A 6000 gallon Tractor-Tanker carrying a full load of unprocessed milk veered off the left side of Route 441 in Manor Township, PA and rolled over onto the driver's side of the cab.

The driver was heavily entrapped in the vehicle due to the position of the driver's seat that was displaced and rotated outward. Rescue crews needed to remove what was left of the cab, the gear shift and trim a few trees to gain access to the driver.

When the trucked rolled, the filled milk tanker (roughly 6000 gallon capacity) had both top "lids" popped open and released about 2500-3000 gallons of milk out into the gully between the road and the railroad tracks. The gully was filled with a large amount of dry brush which absorbed most of the milk, however, there was also a culvert draining out into the Susquehanna River which caused the release of milk out into the waterway.

Deputy 8 functioning as command requested the Lancaster County Hazardous Materials Team, Station 2-9 respond to the scene to assist with the leaking tanker. While the Haz Mat Team was en route to the scene, Equipment from Susquehanna Fire Company, Rescue 8-4 was used to create a dam to help curtail the leak.

A second containment dam was constructed to further contain the milk product spilling out of the culvert and into a small drainage area on the side of the river.

Upon the arrival of Haz Mat 2-9-1, a third dam was constructed large enough to effectively eliminate any remaining leakage out into the water.

Another tanker provided by the owner the tanker involved in the accident arrived to off load the remaining unprocessed milk in the crashed tanker. Two wreckers were used to upright the tractor/tanker and haul it away. A small amount of hydraulic fluid and transmission fluid leaked and was cleaned up.

The owner of the tanker planned to hose down the gully and culvert while sectioning/vacuuming the drainage from the discharge in an effort to flush out and collect as much milk product as possible.