ORLANDO, FL – A semi trailer truck jackknifed and spilled some of its diesel fuel Monday, evening, Septmenber 6, on a rain-soaked interstate in Orange County, Florida. The semi tractor trailer accident involved a Wal-Mart 18 wheeler and occurred on Interstate 4 in the city of Orlando, FL. The accident area is in the north-central section of the state, about 85 miles northeast of Tampa, FL and about 181 miles south of St. Marys, Georgia.
Shortly after 6:00 p.m. Monday evening, 60 year old William Smith of Webster, FL was driving a semi trailer truck through Orange County, Fl, headed west on Interstate 4. It was raining at the time and officials said the road surfaces were slick. The trailer section of the semi bore the logo of Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club and it is believed Mr. Smith may have been transporting some type of merchandise to local Wal-Mart stores. The corporate headquarters for Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club are located in Bentonville, Arkansas.
At about 6:15 p.m. the truck driver was traveling through the area near Fairbanks Avenue in Orlando, FL. As he was taking a curve on the interstate he suddenly lost control of his semi trailer truck on the rain-slicked road. The Wal-Mart truck jackknifed and skidded across the wet highway surface, crashing and coming to a stop on the bridge that passes over Wymore Road.
The force of the truck accident punctured at least one of the fuel tanks on the Wal-Mart semi and diesel fuel began to spill out of the truck.
The semi trailer reported lost between 130 and 150 gallons of fuel which spilled out onto I-4 and off the overpass onto Wymore Road below. The diesel fuel also threatened to enter the nearby water systems through drains and into nearby Lake Likkarney and Little Lake Fairview.
Fortunately, no other persons or vehicles were involved in the truck accident that happened on the busy interstate at the time when many people were returning home after the long Labor Day holiday weekend.
Florida Highway Patrol and local emergency personnel responded to the truck accident site. The driver, Mr. Smith, was not injured in the jackknife collision and reportedly did not require hospitalization.
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Police shut down a section of westbound I-4 surrounding the disabled Wal-Mart semi trailer truck and diverted traffic to secondary routes including Lee Road while highway crews cleared the truck accident site and the trailer truck was towed off the interstate.
FHP Officers also had to close down a section of Wymore Road at the juncture with Fairbanks Avenue after the truck accident so that Haz-Mat teams from the Department of Environmental Protection could clean up the spilled diesel fuel. It would take the team several hours to contain the spill on the interstate and Wymore and keep it from getting into the local water systems and nearby lakes. The closures lasted several hours stretching into Monday night.
Authorities investigating the truck accident conducted a reconstruction of the incident but at this time have not released all of their findings to the public. It is not known if the semi jackknifed on its own or if another vehicle cut it off in traffic and the truck driver lost control of the 18 wheeler trying to avoid a collision. A FHP sergeant did state that they believe he was going to fast considering the rainy weather and the slick surfaces of the interstate.
After the truck accident FHP cited the truck driver, Mr. Smith, with “Driving Too Fast for Conditions”.
Published by Atlanta truck accident lawyer Fried Goldberg LLC, nationwide truck accident attorneys specializing in commercial truck injury law across the United States. For more information about Florida trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, talk to an expert truck attorney for a free initial consultation at 1.877.591.1801.