Fuel tanker crash closes SR 17

MOSES LAKE - A fuel tanker rollover early Tuesday morning forced emergency crews to close state Route 17 between Moses Lake and Othello for most of the day, causing traffic congestion through detour routes.

The State Patrol responded about 4:30 a.m. to SR 17, about eight miles south of Moses Lake, after Darryl J. Roy, 42, of Kennewick, lost control of the tanker, filled with ethanol, heading down the hill at the Lind Coulee bridge. The tanker slid, crossed into the oncoming lane and struck the guardrail, causing the vehicle to roll on its top on the edge of an embankment, according to the State Patrol.

Troopers on scene said freezing rain in the morning caused icy conditions along the highway and county roads near Othello, causing several non-injury collisions.

The driver was uninjured in the crash and wearing a seatbelt. The State Patrol cited him for speeding too fast for conditions. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

A spill response crew from Seattle was called to drill a hole in the tank and pump out the highly combustible fuel before the truck could be moved, according to the State Patrol. Spill response crew members said the cold weather decreased the risk of the ethanol igniting.

A crane was used to stabilize the tanker before the ethanol was pumped out and the crane used to lift the tanker off the side of the road.

About 6,000 gallons of ethanol were removed from the tanker, according to the state Department of Ecology. Less than 100 gallons spilled onto the road and the fuel never reached the canal, which was about 100 yards away from the crash.

The State Patrol initially hoped to have the road open by 2 p.m. but complications clearing the road kept traffic diverted along Road M Southeast and state Route 262 until about 5 p.m.

Once the tanker was cleared from the road, spill responders were required to check for any ethanol spills before reopening the road.