Boston MedFlight landed in Nashua to evacuate a rollover accident victim. The leaking truck was carrying thousands of gallons of oil

July 1, 2024, 3:13 a.m. EDT | Updated July 1, 2024, 3:40 a.m. EDT

NASHUA, NH – The FE Everett Turnpike was closed for a period of time Monday morning due to an accident involving an overturned semi-trailer truck that left the driver seriously injured and caused oil to leak.

The Nashua Fire Department, AMR EMS and New Hampshire State Police responded to a report of a tractor-trailer that had run off the right side of the turnpike at mile marker 8.2, north of exit 8, at approximately 12:50 a.m.

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When the fire department arrived, they found a badly damaged truck with the driver trapped in the cab. Due to the damage to the tanker, oil was dripping onto the ground.

Additional forces were dispatched to the scene to assist with recovery and containment of the oil spill.

Due to the severity of the injuries, NFR requested Boston MedFlight to land on site. After approximately 30 minutes, the driver was extricated and taken to a waiting AMR ambulance for stabilization.

The highway was closed in both directions between exits 8 and 10 to allow Boston MedFlight to land on site. After landing, the patient was loaded into the helicopter and flown to a Boston hospital with serious injuries.

Video of Boston MedFlight landing at FE Everett Tpk

According to information gathered at the scene, the truck had been loaded with various motor oils in New Jersey and was on its way to a motor oil dealer in Manchester.

The truck's capacity is approximately 8,000 gallons, but at the time of the accident it was reportedly only filled to about 6,500 gallons.

Nashua firefighters worked to contain oil spilling from the trailer onto the ground and diesel leaking from the damaged truck's saddle tanks.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services was dispatched to assist in the cleanup of the oil spill. State Police Troop G, which specializes in commercial vehicle enforcement, was also called to the scene.

After about an hour, the leaking oil and fuel were brought under control and contained.

There were roadworks in both directions at the accident site and several lanes were closed due to construction. Information at the scene indicates that the truck lost control as it entered the construction site and veered to the right, leaving the highway.

State police have closed the northbound right lanes of the toll road while Bauchman's Towing works to remove the oil from the tanker and then recover the truck's cab and trailer.

Active scenes with lane closures are expected to occur for several hours.

The New Hampshire State Police is investigating the accident.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news