THORNTON, N.H. --
A box truck rolled over on Interstate 93 south in Thornton on Wednesday afternoon.
Police said I-93 south was shut down between exits 29 and 30 for more than an hour while crews worked to clear the scene. New Hampshire State Police said both wind and snow may have contributed to the accident.
"Up in Franconia Notch, we had a tractor-trailer that partially rolled over up there, and we had winds up close to hurricane speed, I think," New Hampshire State Police Sgt. Todd Landry said.
The truck was carrying about 450 oxygen cylinders, but authorities were unsure how many spilled onto the highway. Officials said the tanks posed no danger.
"A large amount of diesel fuel was leaking from the vehicle, and they could also see that there were vapors coming out of the oxygen tanks," Landry said.
The driver of the truck wasn't seriously hurt but firefighters said it was a delicate operation to break the windshield and get him out of the rig.
"If you get a spark with a leak, then you got a big problem because if you get one tank going, it ignites another. It's just a domino effect," Campton-Thornton Fire Chief David Tobine said.
Just before 6 p.m., a skilled towing crew gently righted the truck even as diesel fuel continued to pour from its tank.
"We should be good with that. There's no water table, no river nearby. So, we shouldn't have any issues with that," Tobine said.
Fire officials estimated the spill at less than 20 gallons.
Tell Us More:E-mail WMUR your tips and story ideas.Copyright 2009 by . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
