Truck Spills Oil Onto Route 38 After Crash With Sedan: Geneva PD

GENEVA, IL — A truck carrying fuel spilled the oil onto Route 38 Monday morning, prompting a hazmat response and lane closures during rush hour traffic, officials said.

Officers were dispatched at 7:06 a.m. to East State Street and Kautz Road for a crash between a sedan and a semi. The tractor-trailer was driving westbound on Route 38 and began turning left to go northbound on Kautz Road when the sedan driver failed to yield and crashed into the saddle tank attached to the truck, Deputy Chief Brian Maduzia told Patch.

The impact punctured the gas tank, causing fuel to spill onto the roadway. Geneva Fire Department personnel were unable to stop the leak, so they allowed the tank to drain into a grassy area and contacted the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for cleanup, Maduzia said.

No injuries were reported in the crash, according to the deputy chief.

In an alert issued at 7:32 a.m. Monday, officials asked drivers to avoid the area around Route 38 and Kautz Road on Geneva's east side due to the incident.

Route 38 experienced significant backups while eastbound and westbound lanes were shut down. Southbound Kautz Road at Averill Road was also closed to traffic.

Roads reopened by 8:30 a.m. when police and fire department crews concluded response operations, Maduzia said.