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A fuel tanker heading north on US-41 lost control making the hard right turn near Ethel Avenue in Hancock at about 8:10 Thursday morning. The cab stayed upright and the driver was uninjured, but it detached from the load it was hauling. The tank itself overturned onto its side, and fuel began to leak. Personnel on scene say they believe it had at least 7,500 [now thought to be 8,500] gallons of gas. They measured the progress of the leak by slapping the tanker’s side and using the echo as a gauge.
Eyewitnesses say speed was the most likely culprit. Rick Heinonen says he saw it all from The Tire Shop.
Law enforcement agencies from the local and county levels, along with the Michigan State Police responded. The gasoline never went up, but its highly flammable nature drew crews from Hancock and nearby fire departments.
Traffic detours were put into place, routing northbound US-41 traffic onto M-203 towards McLain State Park and then Calumet. Southbound commuters were eventually forced onto Airport Park Road and down to Dollar Bay.
Some gas leaked into the storm drain system and the United States Coast Guard is conducting activities in the Portage Canal to hopefully reduce the areas affected by potential runoff. Because of the possibility that it got into the sewer system, homes were evacuated within a 1,000 foot radius of the accident in all directions. Residents affected were given shelter at Church of the Resurrection.
Back on scene, several layers of earth mounds were trucked in by the Hancock Department of Public Works and Superior Sand and Gravel to help trap the leaking gasoline on US-41. Tarps were laid down in between each layer, fortifying it against any seepage.
Hancock Fire used flame retardant spray to ensure that the gasoline did not ignite.
Krans Oil of Lake Linden and Rowe Oil of Calumet both sent empty trucks to help pump the spilled gas into, so it could be disposed of in a safe manner.
