Spill of cleaning materials forces turnpike to close

1/24/2001

CLYDE - A vehicular accident caused household cleaning chemicals to spill on the Ohio Turnpike, forcing authorities to close one westbound lane for cleanup.

Clyde firefighters and the Ohio Highway Patrol responded to a 1:35 p.m. accident in the westbound lanes of the toll road.

Russell H. Williams, 49, of Liberty, Ind., was hauling more than 25,000 pounds of foaming drain cleaner and nearly 20,000 pounds of bleach from the Clorox Co. in Cleveland. He drove off the right side of the road and crashed into a truck transporting cars.

The automobile carrier, driven by Joann Elrod, 57, and her husband, David, 52, from Harlowton, Mont., was stopped on the shoulder of the road because of a flat tire.

Police said about one-third of the cleaning supplies spilled onto the roadway. No one was injured in the crash.

State environmental officials determined the spill was not hazardous to the environment. Mr. Williams was ticketed for failure to drive in marked lanes.