IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo.—The driver of an asphalt truck has died after his tanker overturned near Idaho Springs, spilling diesel and asphalt into Clear Creek.
The crash happened on Interstate 70 Thursday morning. The Colorado State Patrol has identified the truck driver as 44-year-old Octavio Schaffino of Phoenix. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Schaffino’s truck was owned by A.A.O./Arviso Inc. of Commerce City. He was hauling road bed material.
The state patrol says an unknown amount of asphalt spilled into the creek. About 100 gallons of diesel fuel from the truck’s ruptured tanks also spilled.
Hazardous materials units and fire departments contained the spill. A private company was handling the cleanup.
It was the third major asphalt spill in recent weeks in Colorado. Last month, two asphalt trucks overturned and spilled asphalt into the Cache la Poudre (kash-luh-POO’-der) River.
