BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Clean-up crews and other first responders remain on the scene of an overturned tanker truck that spilled an estimated 6,000 gallons of fuel, prompting an evacuationin a neighborhood on the west side of Bethlehem early Thursday.
- An overturned tanker truck spilled an estimated 6,000 gallons of fuel in West Bethlehem early Thursday morning
- The neighborhood was evacuated
- The truck driver sustained minor injuries and is being treated at a local hospital
Residents who spent the day evacuated are returning to their homes as the evening proceeds.
Just after 4:30 p.m., the City of Bethlehem announced affected residents could safely return home – but to look out for the smell of fuel in their homes.
As of 11:30 a.m., there was no official estimate of how long the clean-up effort will take, or when roads near the incident will reopen.
The truck overturned on Paul Avenue shortly before 2:10 a.m. Police say the driver of the truck was traveling eastbound on West Union Blvd., and it appears as though the accident happened when he turned onto Paul.
The evacuation radius is 1000 feet in all directions of the spill. The truck driver suffered minor injuries and was taken for treatment to a local hospital, according to Capt. Nicholas Lehman with the Bethlehem Police Department. No other injuries were reported.
“We're not really sure what happened exactly at this point,” Lehman said Thursday morning. “But obviously it overturned, and about 6000 gallons of gasoline and diesel has spilled out of the truck so far.”
Police reported no immediate danger to the public, but hazmat crews are on site cleaning up the spill, and fire crews had oxygen tanks strapped to their backs.
The truck overturned in the vicinity of West Union and Paul, a Northampton County dispatch supervisor said.
The evacuation radius of 1,000 meters in all directions from the spill was modified to a 1,000-foot radius, the supervisor said.
Bethlehem Fire Chief Warren Achey confirmed the truck was carrying gas, but was running on diesel, so the spill likely contained both.
According to a media release from the City of Bethlehem, crews deployed a floating barrier in nearby Monocacy Creek in case of contamination, but they do not believe any fuel entered the creek.
Two hazmat teams were called out because gasoline and diesel fluid was leaking into storm sewers and culverts on Route 378. He said emergency management officials may start allowing residents who live on the outskirts of the spill to return home.
Police knocked on doors and used a reverse 9-1-1 alert to notify residents early Thursday morning about the emergency evacuation. The American Red Cross also responded. Officials said the organization received a request from Northampton County officials at 3 a.m. to provide resources and support for affected residents and first responders.
“Obviously, it's a little unsettling, you know, when a police officer is banging on your door telling you you gotta get out because it's not safe."Capt. Nicholas Lehman
“Obviously, it's a little unsettling, you know, when a police officer is banging on your door telling you you gotta get out because it's not safe,” Lehman said. “But, we had some good cooperation for the residents. They obviously understand that, and like I said, we're trying to get them back into their houses as quickly as we can.”
"I’m two blocks away and what happened is probably after 3 a.m. the police were going through with loudspeakers about evacuating," Bethlehem resident Ross Wilson said. "I was in a daze. My wife got up and shortly thereafter a police officer knocked at the door and asked us to evacuate."
The area of the crash was cordoned off around 8:30 a.m., and Wilson said the area was sloped, causing fuel to run down into the street near the Ukrainian church near West Union Blvd and Kenmore Avenue.
"The fuel was just gushing out. I’m a CDL operator, I taught it, I’ve been around trucking my whole life. If you're driving you have ultimate respect for that load because it’s always moving. It’s not like you’re hauling freight," Wilson said.
More than 100 residents evacuated to shelter at Nitschmann Middle School. Bethlehem resident Ann Kichline and her family arrived at the school auditorium around 3:45 a.m. She lives on Highland Avenue, just down the hill from where the spill happened. She said her neighbor saw fuel running down the other side of the street.
Nitschmann will operate on a two-hour delay today.
— BASDNitschmannMS (@NitschmannMS) November 17, 2022
Due to fuel spill on west side, school used as a shelter for displaced families. Delay for two hours to ensure that our building is ready to function normally for students and staff while also serving our community's needs.
She said she grabbed her dog, a pug named Daisy, and headed for safety.
“I brought her a little bit of food and her medication that she takes during the day just in case,” she said. “Brought her medication, my medication, a little bit of food and my phone charger.”
The Red Cross said it had served about 150 people in the hours following the evacuation, and there were initially 25 dogs and 1 cat brought to the school early on. It was the first time there was commingling at a shelter among people and animals.
Connor Terry with the American Red Cross said they set up a canteen for people who were displaced, providing hot breakfast sandwiches, coffee, snacks and other beverages.
“We have a network of local food providers for situations like this,” he said. “So we contacted the WAWA in the area and they agreed to assist us this morning.”
Nitschmann operated on a two-hour delay Thursday, according to a tweet shared by Bethlehem School District Superintendent Joseph Roy that was posted to a school account.
Authorities aren't sure what caused the tanker to flip; Lehman said police do not expect to file any charges.
This story will be updated.
