VAIL, Colo.—A Sinclair Oil truck hauling 8,200 gallons of gasoline overturned Sunday near Vail, forcing nearly an 11-hour closure of the westbound lanes of Interstate 70, authorities said.
The closure forced motorists off I-70 at Copper Mountain onto a detour which translated into about an hour’s delay, Vail town spokeswoman Jamie Wilson said. Eastbound lanes remained open with the exception of about a 20-minute period.
Driver Verl Kingsford, 54, of Fairplay was in serious condition at Vail Valley Medical Center and then transferred to a Denver hospital, Wilson said. Details about his injuries weren’t available.
The tanker truck was heading westbound down Vail Pass about 9:30 a.m. when Kingsford called an emergency police dispatcher and advised he was having problems controlling the vehicle, Wilson said.
Contact between the driver and the dispatcher broke off and the tanker went off the right side of the interstate, spilling more than 5,000 gallons fuel, Wilson said. Hazardous material crews worked the bulk of the day to contain the spilled fuel and none of it made it into nearby Gore Creek.
The accident remains under investigation, Wilson said.
