Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Overturned tanker spills thousands of gallons of gas, shutting down roadway near JFK

nbcnewyork.com · 7h · first reportShare

An overturned tanker truck spilled thousands of gallons of fuel onto a Queens roadway, according to officials, shutting down a major thoroughfare leading to JFK Airport. The tanker overturned just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Rockaway Turnpike and East Avenue near the Meadowmere neighborhood, the FDNY said. Security video obtained by NBC New York showed the truck making a left turn and tipping over onto its side in the process. A large emergency response from fire and EMS personnel rushed to the scene, spraying foam on the ground and around the crash site to deal with any possible spilled fuel. The overturned truck has a 12,400 gallon capacity, and at the time of the crash was holding about 8,500 gallons, said Nassau County Fire Chief Michael Utaro. One compartment broke and about 2,000 gallons of gasoline spilled onto the roadway, pouring into storm drains and into the canal below that ultimately leads to Jamaica Bay, Utaro said. Emergency personnel were able to get the leak under c