Yellowstone Park tanker crash spills 3,000 gallons of fuel

Aug. 28, 2020 Updated Fri., Aug. 28, 2020 at 10:08 p.m.

Associated Press

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – A trailer hauling unleaded gasoline spilled about 3,000 gallons of the fuel after overturning in Yellowstone National Park while en route to a delivery, park officials said Friday.

There was no evidence any gasoline entered the nearby Yellowstone River, officials said.

The tandem trailer being hauled by a tanker truck overturned Thursday morning between Fishing Bridge and Mud Volcano in an area where the Grand Loop Road runs near the Yellowstone River, park officials said.

A photo of the crash scene posted by park officials showed the tanker still on the road and still attached to the trailer that was upside down in a ditch at the edge of a wooded area.

The 6-mile section of road remained closed Friday while park workers continued to assess the spill’s impacts.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.

Yellowstone Park tanker crash spills 3,000 gallons of fuel

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

Cities in Washington ban new ICE detention centers amid Trump push to expand

To make people smile when it rains, his sidewalk art appears only when wet

Cool Critters: Big appetites, bigger attitudes fuel springtime drama at bird feeders