Skip to content

Tanker rollover, spill, blocking highway in Walnut Grove

Tenn. 69 in Walnut Grove was the scene of a fuel tanker rollover Tuesday at about 11:30 a.m.
Authorities said the driver had to be extricated and was airlifted with survivable injuries. The truck was reportedly transporting about 5,000 gallons of gasoline and 2,600 gallons of diesel for Selmer-based Paul Fisher Oil Company, and it was estimated roughly half of that fuel spilled as a result of the crash.
The truck was traveling north on Tenn. 69 and came to rest upside down on the east side of the road. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Hardin County Fire Department Districts 6 (Olivet-Walkertown), 11 (Walnut Grove), 14 (Bruton Branch) and Station 12 responded.
It was first believed a heavy-duty wrecker would be needed to lift the truck to remove the entrapped driver, but firefighters on scene decided to spray a “protective foam layer on the spilled fuel to keep vapors down” and cut the driver out from the back of the cab, according to Hardin County Fire Chief Melvin Martin.
The driver was airlifted with what Martin described as “survivable” injuries.
At 2 p.m. Tuesday, Martin said Tenn. 69 would remain closed for six to eight hours until a hazmat cleanup crew could pump out the fuel remaining in the upside-down tanker and the truck could be removed.

Leave a Comment