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Trucking Accident Causes Local Evacuation

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on October 1, 2009

A recent article describes a trucking accident that led to the evacuation of nearby homes and businesses in Santa Rosa. The tanker truck was carrying anhydrous ammonia on the morning of September 16, 2009 on Avalon Blvd. near the I10 Intersection with exit 22. As the driver attempted to turn north off I10 onto exit 22, the driver lost control of the semi. It overturned on the shoulder of Avalon Boulevard. Homes and businesses within half a mile of the crash were evacuated by emergency response personnel.

When exposed to air, anhydrous ammonia is transformed from a gaseous state to a liquid and becomes a serious breathing hazard that can cause severe blisters and burns to exposed skin. After the trucking accident, law enforcement authorities closed I10 from exits 17 to 26 and re-routed motorists onto Highway 90. Schools within a three-mile radius were also evacuated, a measure consistent with overturned tanker trucks with potentially ruptured tanks of hazardous chemicals.

In addition to the closing of I10, the trucking accident also closed the entire portion of Avalon Boulevard from Cyanamid Road to Mary Kitchen Road within an hour of the chemical spill. Emergency response personnel from many local communities assisted with the trucking accident including the HazMat response team from Escambia County.

One Avalon firefighter said, “It had potential to being deadly to anyone in the general vicinity if it had a leak, but the only thing that spilled was a little bit of diesel and oil, but that was it.”

After an examination of the overturned truck, authorities determined that the tank had not ruptured but took precautions as these types of trucking accidents can result in ruptured tanks after the accident has occurred. “We try to establish what is in the tanker first and if it has a leak,” he said. “With it being on its side, the precaution was if we turn it back over, it could rupture.”

Trucking accidents, whether they involve motor vehicle accidents or hazardous chemical spills, present a very real danger to everyone. In worst case scenarios, trucking accidents result in severe injuries or deaths and victims face a long and expensive road to recovery. If you’re been injured or a loved one has been killed in a trucking accident, Orlando trucking accident lawyer James O. Cunningham may be able to help. Call the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham today to schedule a free consultation about your case.

James O. Cunningham

James O. CunninghamSince 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.

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