Oil Tanker Driver Injured In Ronkonkoma Overturn: PD

RONKONKOMA, NY — The driver of an oil tanker was injured when it turned over on Veterans Memorial Highway in Ronkonkoma on Wednesday morning, causing the roadway to be shut down for about five hours, authorities said.

An oil truck was traveling westbound on Veterans Memorial Highway, near Connetquot Avenue, when it overturned just after 7 a.m., and the man who was driving it was transported by Lakeland Fire Department ambulance to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore for evaluation and treatment of “minor injuries,” authorities said.

Motorists in the area experienced some delays on Wednesday as their morning commute was snarled due to the overturn. Police said westbound Veterans Memorial Highway was closed at Crossway East for about five hours while rescue crews were at work.

In addition to police, and the Lakeland and Central Islip fire departments, as well as the Central Islip-Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance, about eight agencies responded to the overturn.

The Police’s Motor Carrier Safety Section, as well as environmental conservation officers from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Town of Islip Fire Marshal’s office, responded to inspect the vehicle and the roadway.

The accident “caused oil to be displaced from the tanker truck” and Islip Town’s hazmat team responded, according to Jamie Atkinson, Deputy Coordinator of Suffolk County Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services.

Islip Town Hazardous Materials Coordinator and FRES Deputy Fire Coordinator Michael Allen, who was in charge of the incident, and the county’s Hazmat Strike Team, Islip Town Hazmat Team and Fire Departments “worked together to mitigate, contain, and neutralize the spilled oil,” according to Atkinson.

“The remaining about 2,100 gallons of oil inside the truck was offloaded to another tanker,” he added.

Suffolk’s Hazmat Strike Team response consisted of the the county’s Fire Rescue and Emergency Services fire marshals, Office of Emergency Management, deputy fire coordinators, the Sheriff’s Department and police. New York State Park Police, as well as the Department of Transportation and Emergency Management also responded to the road.

“Several hours later the tanker involved was uprighted, towed from the scene and the road was opened back up to vehicular traffic without incident,” Atkinson said.