A dozen residents were evacuated from their homes early Tuesday morning after a roll-over crash involving a fuel tanker carrying more than 11,000 gallons in the 9500 block of Golf Club Road SE near Stayton.
Deputies were dispatched to the area shortly after midnight, finding that a 2019 Kenworth truck and trailer belonging to Oregon Petroleum Transport Company had overturned on the side of the roadway, leaking fuel. The driver was not injured.
Officials from the Stayton Fire Department requested a hazardous materials team from the Salem Fire Department to help contain the spill.
Marion County deputies coordinated with the Stayton Police Department and Oregon State Police to evacuate 12 nearby residents, who were able to take temporary shelter at the Stayton Community Center until additional assistance was provided by the American Red Cross.
Deputies and fire crews remained on scene for several hours while the remaining fuel in the tanker and trailer were pumped out to another vehicle.
Prior to the crash, the vehicle was carrying approximately 11,400 gallons of fuel. Initial estimates indicated as much as 2,300 gallons of fuel were spilled during the crash.
Investigators from the Marion County Multi-Agency Crash Team and the Marion County weighmaster were called to the scene to investigate. Based on interviews with the driver, deputies were led to believe that fatigue may have played a role in the crash.
The driver, Robert Boyce, 64, of Gervais, was later charged with reckless driving and reckless endangering. He is scheduled to appear in Marion County Circuit Court later this month.
Golf Club Road remain closed to traffic until April 2, allowing hazardous material cleanup crews to complete a safety assessment of the spill area, remove and replace contaminated soils and make any required repairs to the roadway.
In an April 2 update, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office reported that at least 5,700 tons of contaminated soil had been removed from the site.
