CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The truck driver was hauling thousands of gallons of diesel fuel Saturday when the 18-wheeler overturned on the Brookshire Freeway around 10 a.m., spilling gas and trapping the driver.
"Anytime you have a crash scene like this involving a tractor-trailer and the driver can talk, that's a good sign," said Capt. Rob Brisley with the Charlotte Fire Department.
After Medic took the driver to the hospital, hazmat crews worked to contain the spill.
Eyewitness News watched as crews drilled holes into the side of the tanker to transfer the fuel to a different truck.
The crash forced crews to close all eastbound lanes of the Brookshire for hours. The road reopened around 5 p.m.
Troopers closed down part of the freeway about a mile out, so drivers had plenty of notice about the detour.
Betty Marlin owns a business nearby. She said these types of accidents happen more often than you might think.
"See the turn here is very narrow and these trucks can't turn on this intersection without hitting the median," she said. "I've been talking about it for years, now something will be done.
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