MH man seriously injured in rollover gasoline tanker crash
photo by Ed Doiron A semi truck hauling a gasoline tanker lies overturned near the Spring Creek bridge on Highway 160, with debris scattered across the roadway following a crash April 29.
photo by Ed Doiron A 36-year-old Mountain Home, Arkansas, man was airlifted to Cox South in Springfield with serious injuries after being extracted from the cab of this truck.
Traffic on Highway 160, about five miles west of Gainesville, was halted in both directions for more than 12 hours last week after a semi truck hauling gasoline overturned multiple times while descending the hill just before the Spring Creek bridge.
According to this week’s Ozark County Sheriff’s report, dispatchers received a 911 call at 8:50 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, reporting the rollover crash.
Ozark County Ambulance personnel and first responders from Theodosia, Oakland, Pontiac-Price Place and Gainesville fire departments were dispatched to the scene, while Missouri Department of Transportation workers responded to help stop traffic and prevent another crash. An Air Evac helicopter was also called, reporting an estimated time of arrival of 26 minutes.
Responders encountered a severe crash scene upon arrival. The truck had rolled several times, leaving the cab crushed and the driver trapped inside. Emergency crews worked to extricate the injured 36-year-old man from Mountain Home, Arkansas. After being freed, he was transported by ambulance to a landing zone and airlifted to Cox South Hospital in Springfield with serious injuries.
At the scene, Theodosia firefighters requested assistance from the Howell County Hazmat team based in West Plains to address the spill of more than 8,000 gallons of fuel. West Plains Hazmat crews arrived at 10:31 p.m. and continued the lengthy process of containing and cleaning up the hazardous material that VFD first responders had begun. Environmental Services of Springfield was also dispatched and responded, removing the remaining fuel from the tanker prior to it being off loaded. The truck was totaled and removed from the scene by Yates Boys Towing of Seymour at the request of law enforcement.
The Ozark County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol also responded, with Trooper W.R. Wylie leading the crash investigation. According to the patrol’s report, the driver was traveling eastbound on Highway 160 in a 2018 Peterbilt semi hauling a gasoline tanker when the vehicle ran off the roadway and overturned multiple times. The driver was wearing a seatbelt, the report noted.
Firefighters and other responders were on scene helping with clean up and related work until 9 a.m. the next morning, when the road was reopened.