Runaway Fuel Tank Closes One Lane of Route 9 South in Howell

Traffic on Route 9 South was delayed for several hours on Friday morning when the fuel tank off of a truck came off during the morning rush hour. 

According to the Howell Police Department the call came in around 9:25 on Friday that a truck traveling down the roadway had one of its tanks come off and roll north in the southbound lanes. The tank came off just after the intersection with Bergerville and Casino Road across the street from the All State Fence Company.

Dan Frey, the driver of the truck said he noticed a problem but at first was unsure what it was until he looked behind him and saw the passenger side tank rolling away. 

As it happened, directly behind him was a flat bed truck that had a forklift on it. Frey said he and the driver of the flatbed both stopped immediately and worked together to clear the tank from the roadway. While the flatbed driver worked to help traffic move around the leaking tank, Frey said he was able to balance it out to limit the 150 gallon tank from losing too much of its contents.

Brian Prochnow, the First Assistant Chief of the Adelphia Fire Company estimated that because of Frey's quick work only 5 to 10 gallons leaked out which his department was able to start the cleanup of as soon as they arrived. 

In addition to the Adelphia company, Prochnow said the Howell Police Department, the Howell Township Office of Emergency Management  and the Monmouth County Health Department all responded to the scene. The New Jersey Department of Transportation was also called to help with the cleanup of the roadway and to help traffic move along smoothly. 

It was estimated as of 10:30 that the road would continue to be limited to one lane for at least another hour or two while the tank was removed and the spilled fuel was cleaned up. 

Frey said in more than 20 years of driving he had seen a lot from the cab of his truck, but this was something he had never seen or expected to see. He said that despite the delay he was waiting for a mechanic from his company to remove the broken straps so he could continue on his route.