HELPER — A semitrailer hauling two tankers of crude oil rolled near Helper on Friday, dumping about 5,000 gallons of yellow sludge onto the roadway and into a creek, troopers reported.
They have not released a cause of the double-tanker crash that happened about 7 a.m. Friday on Highway 191, about 7 miles north of Helper. Crews were working to contain globs of waxy crude that had solidified in chilly Willow Creek about 5 miles downstream. Drinking water is unaffected.
Troopers said a portion of the road would be closed into Saturday and asked travelers to instead use U.S. 6 and state Route 40. They released drone footage showing the tankers tipped on their sides and surrounded by the waxy crude oil in both lanes.
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Lawrence Hopper said the truck driver did not sustain injuries serious enough to be transported to a hospital. Hopper said the agency did not immediately know what caused the crash. No other cars were involved.
Scientists were taking samples from the creek, but results won't be available until Monday, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality said on Twitter.
The truck had been carrying 280 barrels but 120 spilled out of the truck, Hopper said.