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Thruway blocked by tractor-trailer rollover at Batavia exit

By Howard B. Owens

A tractor-trailer has jackknifed and reportedly rolled over on the westbound Thruway at the Batavia exit.

Unknown injuries.

It's also not known yet what the tanker was hauling.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS responding. State Troopers are on scene.

UPDATE 11:32 a.m.: Tanker is carrying salt. There is some diesel fuel spill. The driver is out of the truck and walking around.

UPDATE 11:46 a.m. (Billie): The vehicle is carrying 78,000 pounds of granular salt. There is concern about the diesel fuel and they are working to absorb it with pads and sand. The driver is being transported to UMMC with complaints of back and neck pain and he has some minor abrasions. A pumper is requested from Oakfield to standby at the Batavia fire station. Traffic may be diverted to exit 47, Le Roy, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.

UPDATE 12:12 p.m.(Billie): After a "tug of war" with Thruway authorities about handling traffic in the aftermath of this accident, Batavia chief on scene says the Thruway supervisor insists on opening up traffic lanes and removing, or shifting, the emergency equipment. "We are packing up all of our equipment and we are leaving. It's all in the Thruway supervisor's hand." They opened the left lane to traffic, most firefighters have left, and those remaining are pulling onto the grass and staging in the right lane. A piece of equipment from Montgomery is en route to hoist the disabled tractor-tanker onto its wheels. The chief made sure the supervisor's name was written down "for the record."

UPDATE 12:25 p.m. (Billie): The Batavia chief says the Thruway supervisor is now directing traffic by himself standing behind his truck with a single amber light. "That's the extent of the traffic control here." All Town of Batavia units are back in service.

UPDATE 12:43 p.m.: Below, the current situation at the accident scene.

UPDATE 12:48 p.m. (Howard): We're hearing voices of two or three people talking about directing traffic on the Thruway. They're not using call signs, so we don't know who they are. It sounds like they're struggling with the traffic situation. They are trying to figure out how to position a truck ahead of the accident to get people to slow down. People do slow down, but then speed up again and then slam on their brakes just before the accident scene.

UPDATE 1:04 p.m.: One of those voices just said, "You've got about a 50-50 chance of getting somebody with their head up their ass."

UPDATE 1:19 p.m.: The truck has been slid completely onto the shoulder so neither lane is blocked. A voice just said it will be at least two hours before the truck is removed.

UPDATE 3:53 p.m.: A tow truck capable of getting the tanker upright and hauled away is expected on scene at 4:30 p.m.

UPDATE 9:24 p.m.: Some time within the past 10 minutes, the scene finally cleared.

Photos from the Thruway web cam.

Howard B. Owens

I'm astonished by this Thruway supervisor's conduct.

Here he has all of the resources of Town of Batavia Fire -- staffed by people who for all practical purposes for a situation like this are trained professionals, and he thinks he can be responsible for traveler safety by himself.

Truly amazing.

Dec 5, 2010, 12:31pm Permalink
Chuck Lowder

A few years ago, there was a tractor-trailer tire fire just past the Rte. 77 / Exit 48A overpass. As I was getting off of the Thruway at Exit 48A, I told the toll taker about the fire. The way he acted made me suspicious if he even called it in. When I got home, I called the Genesee County fire dispatch and told them about the tire fire. They told me that they can not go on the Thruway until it was verified by a Thruway State Trooper or someone from the Thruway authority.

Another time I was at an accident towards the PA line on the Thruway. A girl flipped her Corvette over several times. We called 911 and it took a Thruway State Trooper a good 20 minutes to get there. Once he was there, then the Trooper called for emergency services. It then took another 15 to 20 minutes to get rescue crews on scene. We comforted her the best we could until help arrived. Since I was the only tractor-trailer there at the time, I grabbed a blanket out of the bunk and covered her up to help keep her warm.

Later I talked to the Trooper about this and he told me that at the time there were only two Troopers patrolling the Thruway between Buffalo to the PA line. I HOPE that this practice has improved but knowing the Thruway Authority... Need I say more?

I look at this now that when you’re traveling on the Thruway, you’re taking a chance that if you get into an accident, that “golden hour” may be in jeopardy due to the Thruway Authority's policies.

Dec 5, 2010, 1:12pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

I've never gotten the impression that there is anything hindering local fire departments from responding immediately to anything on the Thruway.

Dec 5, 2010, 1:24pm Permalink
Chuck Lowder

This was a few years (15 or so) ago Howard. I know it was an issue back then. I had talks with the late Harry Dibble when he was chief at Indian Falls about this and I was surprised on how the Thruway does things. I also talked to a few Akron firemen and they even invited me to a meeting with them.

How many times have you heard on the scanner that the emergency equipment are to stage at the Thruway entrance and waiting to respond... Hopefully it has changed...

Heck, give the fire dispatch a call and find out how things are handled now. It might make an interesting story to follow up on, giving this accident and what just happened in Buffalo.

Dec 5, 2010, 1:37pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

I've never heard equipment staging at the thruway entrance waiting to respond, except on a chief's orders (while he checks the scene). In fact, East Pembroke Fire has a key to the gate at the service entrance off Indian Falls Road.

Dec 5, 2010, 1:43pm Permalink
Bob Harker

Sounds like too much testosterone on BOTH parties parts.

And, as usual, we the tax payers take a back seat to politicians' (yes they are both politicians both)egos.

Public safety taking a backseat to a couple of egomaniacs - wonderful.

BTW, Howard, why couldn't passenger cars be directed off the exit, flip a u turn before the toll booth and get right back on? The big trucks could use the trailer lot to turn around. Just sayin....

Dec 5, 2010, 2:53pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Bob, my guess from the fire departments perspective is they have liability insurance and if things aren't done according to what they've been trained to do, they wouldn't be covered, so the best thing for them to do is just clear the scene and let the Thruway Authority assume the liability.

That's my guess.

And if I understood the scanner correctly, Thruway staff was on scene first and was directing traffic exactly as you described. Why that couldn't have continued until the scene was safely cleared, I don't know.

Dec 5, 2010, 2:57pm Permalink
Chelsea O'Brien

I just got back from Rochester about an hour ago... They had the right lane closed for about a mile before the accident, with two trucks with arrows, and cones barricading the right lane. As I was pulling into the exit, a large tow truck was pulling onto the grass, there seemed to be several police vehicles (but no lights on) as well as thruway authority vehicles. Traffic was backed up a little, but seemed to open back up once people got past the accident.

They also had a warning flashing on the electronic sign west of the 490 exit, so drivers should have been aware of what was going on. However, the lane closure seemed abrupt, and caused some confusion.

Dec 5, 2010, 6:14pm Permalink

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