A tanker truck carrying anhydrous ammonia crashed on Beach Road Monday.  The truck was carrying more than 6,000 gallons of the potentially hazardous material.  The driver of the truck carrying the ammonia was ejected from the tanker truck and was killed. Our condolences go out to the family during this sad time.   According to the State Highway Patrol, the cause of the crash is still being investigated, as witness statements are being gathered.  According to the Sharon Township Fire Chief, it appears that the driver was killed upon impact.  

Twenty homes surrounding the crash were evacuated for half a day on Monday. As of the writing of this blog, thankfully no one was seriously hurt by the fumes. There is some issue as to whether the concentration of the ammonia was sufficient to cause quick, serious danger to residents in the area. On the scene was a second tanker truck which was prepared to accept the ammonia from the damaged first truck if the need arose.  Because of the serious nature of the crash and the involvement of the ammonia, the HAZMAT team was on the scene. 

Tankers carrying hazardous chemicals on Ohio roads seem to be a reality in this day and age. It seems that there is no other way around it. The modern industrial age requires that hazardous chemicals be used in the manufacture of items, living, etc.  This is why state and federal agencies set guidelines on the handling and transportation of these chemicals, and they have contingency plans ready, including HAZMAT teams ready to protect the public when an unfortunate accident occurs, as may be the case here.  There is always the concern that such chemicals could leach into the ground and reach the water table, and potentially harm residents' drinking water. 

This accident illustrates the dangers inherent in large truck accidents, especially when chemicals are being transported. In general, according to Ohio Department of Public Safety, in 2008, Ohio had 10,736 heavy truck accidents, which includes all types of heavy trucks.  Ohio had an average of three fatal crashes killing 3.3 people each day that year, which translates into a person being killed every 7.4 hours.

A total of 1,191 people died on Ohio roads in 2008.  Ohio saw 104 fatal crashes killing 112 people in July 2008. In that year, there were 594 fatal crashes where there was not a collision between two vehicles in transport. The two largest causes of deaths on Ohio roads in 2008, in general, was failure to control the vehicle (178 fatal crashes) and unsafe speed (173 fatal crashes).
 
Holidays are often a time of sadness when death occurs during the holiday weekend. Of all the holidays celebrated in Ohio, Labor day weekend had the most fatal deaths (18) with the Forth of July being the second most deadly with 15 deaths, in 2008. On an unrelated note, of those 15 deaths on July 4th weekend, and 18 deaths on Labor day weekend, 7 of each of these weekend's deaths were alcohol related in that year. 

Of all the people killed on Ohio roads in 2008, the age group with the most deaths was those aged 16-20 with 131 deaths. The second most fatal age group was ages 21-25, with 129 deaths in 2008.  The vast majority of those people killed in these age ranges were drivers, then passengers, then pedestrians.


If you have lost a loved one in a Sharon Township truck crash, call the Lorain County car accident lawyers at Chester Law Group at 1-800-218-4243 or order your FREE BOOK entitled “The Insider’s Guide to Handling Ohio Accident Claims” at www.chesterlaw.com.