A semi-truck hauling hydrated lime powder rolled over on State Route 89 in Chino Valley, Arizona, late on Thursday night, November 5, leaving its driver trapped inside the wreckage and triggering a multi-agency hazardous-materials response, the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (CAFMA) said. The driver was cut free, decontaminated and taken to hospital, and a firefighter was also treated after being exposed to the powder.

Source: Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, via American Truck Drivers

CAFMA was called at about 10:52 p.m. to SR-89 near mile marker 333, close to Del Rio Ranch Road. Firefighters found the tanker truck heavily damaged, its cab hanging over the edge of a bridge, with large quantities of white powder spread across the area. Crews set up a safety perimeter to keep people back from the spilled load before starting work on the trapped driver.

The rescue on the bridge

Firefighters freed the driver from the vehicle, assessed him and put him through decontamination — a necessary step before hospital treatment when a chemical powder covers a casualty — and CAFMA Rescue 62 took him to Yavapai Regional Medical Center. His condition has not been released. CAFMA and Prescott Fire Department hazmat personnel tested and evaluated the spilled substance at the scene and confirmed it was hydrated lime.

One CAFMA firefighter experienced irritation after exposure to the powdered material and was taken to hospital for precautionary evaluation. The firefighter was released later that night and returned to work, officials said.

A working freight corridor through Yavapai County

State Route 89 is the main north-south road linking Prescott and Chino Valley with Ash Fork and Interstate 40, carrying farm traffic, construction loads and through freight across Yavapai County. Tanker and bulk-powder loads like this one move on the corridor daily, and a night-time rollover on a bridge — with the cab left hanging over the edge — is among the most demanding scenes local crews train for. Officials have not said what caused this rollover, and no cause should be assumed while the investigation continues.

Alongside CAFMA, the response drew the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Chino Valley Police Department, Copperstate Ambulance, the Prescott Fire Department and the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office. The reports from the scene did not say how long the highway was closed or restricted during the cleanup.

The Chino Valley Police Department is investigating the crash. The cause of the rollover and the driver's current condition have not been disclosed. Drivers planning to use SR-89 through the Chino Valley area can check current road conditions through the Arizona Department of Transportation's AZ511 service before travelling.