Police said it was good fortune that no one was injured in a recent motor vehicle accident in Baltimore. The accident involved a tractor-trailer that tipped over on an overpass of a well-traveled interstate that sent part of the truck’s load crashing to a highway below.
The accident occurred when the driver of the big rig tried to change lanes too fast, forcing his tractor-trailer to turn on its side, police said. Additionally, police allege the 46-year-old driver had been drinking, and he is now facing a slew of legal charges relating to the accident.
Maryland officials have charged the man with negligent driving, two counts of driving under the influence and failing to maintain his lane. At the same time, he faces a federal charge for violating a regulation that bans drinking before operating a commercial vehicle.
At the time of the accident, the driver was hauling 13 containers that each contained 275 gallons of a substance that is added to concrete.
It was just luck that normally heavy traffic near the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel had been stopped at that time for maintenance, police said. Still, diesel fuel from the truck and some of the additive in the barrels dripped and splattered on cars below as they traveled under Interstate 95 once the lane below had reopened. Police said the additive is not a hazardous substance.
The aftermath of the accident caused a big mess. Southbound I-95 remained close for more than seven hours while crews cleaned up the spill. Interstate I-895 could not reopen in either direction for more than four hours.
Police said that any unlucky drivers whose cars were splashed with the substance could wash it off if they got to it before it had a chance to dry. But more importantly, drivers could have been seriously injured. If more of the additive fell and covered a driver’s windshield, it could have caused a serious accident.
