A tanker truck diverted by a road closure in a snowstorm crashed this morning near the town of Jefferson in Park County, spilling an estimated 7,000 gallons of gas and diesel near creeks that flow into Denver’s watershed.
Colorado State Patrol troopers and hazmat crews were responding in white-out conditions. Park County authorities were trying to erect a berm around the diesel and gas, undersheriff Monte Gore said.
Two occupants were transported by air to St. Anthony hospital after the tanker rolled over and crashed at about 10:45 a.m., Gore said. No names or conditions were available.
The tanker apparently crashed on private property about 4.3 miles east of Jefferson on County Road 77 – trying to get around a snow road-closure along Highway 285 at Jefferson. “If its an approved detour, people can take it. There’s nothing wrong with trying to take an alternate route,” Colorado State Patrol spokesman Nate Reid said.
State troopers labored to extricate one occupant from the wreckage, Reid said.
Park County authorities used a revese 911 call to notify residents in the area – aiming to minimize traffic on the snow-packed roads. “We also wanted residents to know that there may be some issue with that water,” Gore said.
The crash happened near Michigan Creek and Jefferson Creeknear a wetlands area of springs and gulches.
Denver Water dispatched technicians to monitor the spreading fuel – still upriver from Tarryall Reservoir this morning and well beyond Denver’s reservoirs along the South Platte River.
“It would take days before it got to the South Platte,” Denver Water spokeswoman Stacy Chesney said. “We’re monitoring. We will sample where appropriate.”
(Bruce Finley: 303.954.1700 or bfinley@denverpost.com)
