At 6:31AM Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 Marlinton Fire & Rescue was toned for a tractor-trailer accident on Route 39 East of Minnehaha Springs in Pocahontas County. Initial information indicated that the truck was a fuel tanker, but it was unknown if the truck was loaded or empty. The first out unit, Attack 122, arrived on scene to find that it was a loaded tanker carrying gasoline and diesel. The truck and trailer had rolled over onto the passenger side and was off the roadway in the yard of a nearby residence. The driver was entrapped in the cab and the tanker was leaking. 
Attack 122 began immediate preparations to stop the leaking fuel and stop all passing traffic. Rescue/Engine 119 arrived on scene, followed by Squad 117. The driver was entangled in his seatbelt around his ankles and was hanging upside down from the wreckage of the cab. The driver was conscious and alert and complained of pain in both legs with numbness in his feet as well as back pain and numerous cuts and abrasions. As firefighters from Attack 122 contained the leak, the crew of Rescue/Engine 119 assisted the EMS crew of Squad 117 with extrication. The driver was quickly disentangled by cutting the seatbelt and was transferred to a backboard and then to Medic 12 from Pocahontas Memorial Hospital for transport.
Due to the severe amount of damage to the tractor it was not possible for firefighters to safely disconnect the batteries from the tractor so the scene was considered unsafe and the entire area was evacuated of nearby residents and all traffic was stopped approximately 1 mile from the scene on either side. Emergency Services Director Melvin Martin contacted Chief Peacock and assisted in making the necessary notifications of the WV Regional Response Team, EPA, Dept of Transportation Enforcement and the trucking company. Firefighters set up temporary dam materials in the nearby Cochran Creek to stop any fuel that may enter the water from travelling downstream.
Members of the WV Regional Response Team arrived on scene at approximately 11:30AM and established safe zones and took photos and soil samples of the accident site. Marlinton Fire-Rescue units remained on scene as traffic control and stand-by while crews arrived to pump off the remaining gasoline and diesel from the tanker. Approximately 700 gallons was lost from the tanker before the leak was stopped by Marlinton firefighters. Marlinton Fire & Rescue crews remained on scene until approximately 1:00AM on Wednesday February 4th.
Other agencies assisting in the operation were Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Shavers Fork Fire & Rescue with WV Regional Response Team, WV Division of Highways, Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Department, Pocahontas County Office of Emergency Management, WV State Police, WV Public Service Commission – Transportation Enforcement, WV Environmental Protection Agency, WV Division of Natural Resources, Emergency Response, Inc., Varner Construction, Ryder Construction, L & R Excavating and F & F Service Center.
Photos courtesy of John Casto.
