MEADOWMERE, N.Y (PIX11) — A gasoline tanker overturned on Wednesday at a busy roadway on Long Island, causing travel headaches and a big cleanup, according to police.
At 11:08 a.m., a 42-year-old man was operating the gasoline tanker, attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Rockaway Turnpike from East Avenue in Meadowmere, according to police.
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During the turn, the tanker overturned, causing a fuel spill.
Video obtained by PIX11 News shows the tanker performing the turn, then overturning on Rockaway Turnpike, blocking the right lane. Before the truck rolled onto its side, fuel could be seen gushing from the top of the tanker.
Less than a minute after the incident, an unmarked police vehicle was at the scene.
First responders from Nassau County and New York City responded to the scene. Officials from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Coast Guard also responded to monitor the fuel runoff and any potential contamination to the waterway near the incident.
As a result of the incident, Rockway Turnpike was closed in both directions, forcing the Q113 and Q114 buses to be detoured
The driver was evaluated at the scene, but refused medical attention.
Andrew Cruz is a digital content producer. A native New Yorker, he joined PIX11 in 2009 as a weather producer. More of his work can be found here.