Semitruck hauling diesel fuel crashes on Highway 211; puppy partly to blame

A semitruck hauling about 9,300 gallons of diesel fuel crashed Monday on Highway 211 near milepost 6 in Pend Oreille County, leaking fuel onto the roadway.

The truck, hauling two trailers, apparently rolled over and came to a stop in the highway, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Nicholas Hopper. The driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

Hopper said the driver had a 6-week-old puppy with him in the cab. The driver became distracted, drifted onto the right shoulder and overcorrected, causing the truck to roll over.

Hopper said the puppy was OK.

“The puppy was found under the truck alive and well,” he said.

Diesel fuel spilled onto the roadway and surrounding area but did not ignite, Hopper said. WSP, along with fire and rescue crews, worked to clear the scene before clean-up crews could begin containing the leak and mopping up the spill.

Department of Ecology spokeswoman Brook Beeler said the diesel fuel did not leak into any standing bodies of water.

But until a contractor can assess the scene, it’s unclear whether it could reach groundwater. She said it was unlikely any groundwater is nearby, given the location of the spill.

The soil surrounding the highway is saturated, however.

“It’s all saturated,” she said, “so it will likely be a complete soil removal.”

The crash resulted in traffic detours around the site.

There were no other vehicles involved in the crash.