Hwy. 126E reopens after tanker crash, spill
(Update: Both lanes of highway reopen; one will shut again Wednesday for cleanup)
A fuel tanker crash east of Eugene Tuesday morning injured an Eastern Oregon driver and caused a spill that shut Highway 126E throughout the day, Oregon State Police reported. One lane reopened late Tuesday afternoon, and both lanes temporarily overnight, but motorists were urged to still avoid the area.
Troopers from the OSP’s Springfield office responded around 6:40 a.m. to the reported commercial motor vehicle rollover crash on the highway near milepost 21 and Greenwood Drive, about a mile east of Leaburg, said OSP Lt. Mark Duncan.
A preliminary investigation determined that a 2007 Kenworth fuel tanker with trailer was heading east when it drifted off the shoulder of the roadway and rolled, coming to rest up against some small trees, Duncan said.
The driver Robert Reynolds, 31, of Hines, sustained “moderate injuries” in the crash, Duncan said, and was taken by ambulance to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield.
The fuel tanker and trailer were both breached as a result of the rollover and were leaking at the scene, the trooper said.
Eugene/Springfield Hazmat responded and worked to contain the spill. One lane reopened late Tuesday afternoon, with detours in place, and the other lane later in the evening. ODOT said a “large amount of fuel” spilled, and the eastbound lane will close again Wednesday for more cleanup work beside the road. Motorists were asked to visit Tripcheck.com for traffic updates.
OSP was assisted at the scene by the Oregon Department of Transportation, McKenzie Fire Department and Eugene/Springfield Hazmat Response Team.
ODOT reported at midday that “a large amount of fuel is being removed from the truck.” They advised a local detour was in place, but travelers were urged to consider alternate routes, such as state Highway 58 or U.S. Highway 20.
They said one lane reopened late in the day, after the fuel and truck was removed, and the other lane was likely to be closed off and on for several days for further environmental clean-up.
