Ohio Interstate 80 closed for an extended period of time after a truck accident caused diesel fuel to spill into a nearby ditch. The truck accident occurred on March 5.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was heading east on Ohio Interstate 80 when his rig veered off of the right side of the interstate. The truck hit a highway guardrail and landed in a ditch. Luckily, no one was injured in the crash.

As the truck landed in the ditch, the fuel tanks began to leak dispensing up to 240 gallons of diesel fuel onto the ground. The local fire department and a hazardous material crew responded quickly to the scene to clean up the diesel and to prevent injuries. The cleaning took hours, during which time the eastbound lane of Interstate 80 closed.

This kind of truck accident often occurs because of driver error. In this case, authorities cited the driver of the truck for failure to maintain control of his vehicle.

In fact, truck drivers are 10 times more likely to cause an accident than drivers of other types of vehicles.

Crashes involving semi-trucks are potentially serious for all parties involved, and that is why truck drivers are held to a higher standard of safety than other motorists. When truck drivers fail to live up to that standard, too often other motorists get hurt.

Ohio residents who have been injured in a trucking accident may have grounds to file a personal injury claim to obtain compensation for damages, both monetary and physical, as well as hold the responsible party accountable. Medical bills and lost wages can make for tough times, and no one deserves to have a personal injury turn into a financial one.

Source: WYTV.com, “Tractor Trailer Accident Closes I-80 Lane for Hours,” March 5, 2012

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, “Large Truck Crash Causation Study,” July, 2007