Overturned car-hauler blocks Padden Parkway at 94thFree

Forty to 50 gallons of diesel fuel spilled onto Padden Parkway on Tuesday morning after a tractor-trailer hauling automobiles tipped. Both east and westbound traffic were partially blocked during the crash and response.

Two engines and a ladder truck from the Vancouver Fire Department were dispatched at 7:35 a.m. after a car-hauler overturned near the intersection of Padden Parkway and Northeast 94th Avenue.

The first arriving unit found the trailer, which held five vehicles and one motorcycle, on its side. The tractor was tilted to one side at about 40 degrees and leaking diesel from damaged fuel tanks, according to a news release from the fire department.

The driver was not injured.

Fire crews used telescoping rescue struts to stabilize the tractor and catch basins to prevent more fuel from spilling onto the roadway, the agency said.

One of the engines was staffed with hazmat technicians, who worked with Clark County sheriff’s deputies to limit the pollution. The Washington State Department of Ecology was called to the scene to help with cleanup.

The crash blocked one east and westbound lane and one turn lane. The ladder truck remained on scene until 9:10 a.m. to keep the car-hauler stabilized while TLC Towing placed cables around it to bring it upright.