Ice Causes Truck Crash, Fuel Spill on I-95

Icy road conditions caused a truck driver to crash on I-95 southbound early Saturday morning, which resulted in a diesel fuel spill, according to New Hampshire State Police.

A 2008 Peterbilt 384 truck operated by Johnson Cornelius, 35, of Milton, Mass., was traveling south bound near Exit 5 when the driver suddenly lost control and the truck slid off the highway, broke through the guardrail and overturned, according to State Police.

The crash punctured one of the truck's gas tanks and spilled up to 55 gallons of diesel fuel on the roadway, according to State Police. Cornelius was not injured.

State Police reported the right breakdown lane and the right travel lane would be closed for several hours so the diesel fuel spill could be cleaned up. State Police Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Portsmouth Fire Department, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and the New Hampshire State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit. As of 9:30 a.m., State Police reported one travel lane was still closed to traffic as the fuel spill clean up continues.

This accident remains under investigation by Trooper Kevin Devlin, NH State Police-Troop A.  Anyone with information pertaining to this accident is asked to contact Trooper Devlin at 603-223-8490.

State Police also reported that the Piscataqua River Bridge on I-95 northbound was also closed shortly after midnight on Saturday because icy road conditions made the highway impassable for a tractor-trailer truck and several other vehicles to navigate. State Police closed the roadway until the ice could be removed. The roadway was reopened shortly after 2 a.m.