Thursday, May 31, 2007
A tanker truck travelling Northbound on Route 30 with 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel hit a guardrail, veered off the road and overturned into the West River near Newfane, Vermont. The West River is a tributary of the Connecticut River. The driver was ejected and killed, while the truck’s tank ruptured.
The truck came to rest partially submerged in the river on its right side and immediately began leaking its payload. The driver has been identified as 30-year-old Eduard Lashway of Guilford. The vehicle was owned by local company Barrows & Fisher Oil Co. of Brattleboro.
HazMat crews and Brattleboro Fire Department divers worked with booms to try to contain the oil leaking into the river. Route 30 was also closed in both directions, and the river closed to water traffic. A total of 100 gallons of fuel leaked into the river but was ultimately contained by HazMat teams.
WMUR reached an unidentified person at Barrows & Fisher, who refused to identify the then-unknown driver and said he had no comment on the accident.
The accident is under investigation.