Tanker truck crashes, slides down hillside near Rankin Bridge
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A tanker truck crashed over a hillside at the Rankin Bridge on Tuesday.
The crash happened below the bridge along River Road, near the train tracks.
The scene from NewsChopper 2 shows a broken guardrail on the road under the bridge and the tanker truck on its side on the hill between the roadway and the train tracks.
The West Mifflin Fire Department said the tanker was hauling tar and the crash caused a small diesel leak. Crews were still working to secure the load after the leak had been contained.
A moving train passed by, coming dangerously close to the 53-foot downed tanker just feet away.
Workers were out directing traffic as ambulances were on the scene at the bridge.
"There was traffic up and down and on the bridge. It was just chaos," Brittany Hagood said, who works at a nearby convenience store.
Norfolk Southern and the Allegheny County Hazmat team were notified. First responders and a fire truck are at the scene.
There were significant traffic backups at the bridge.
The driver of the tanker was able to get out of the truck and was walking around at the scene, officials at the scene said.
"I do believe that there will be some closures here a short time, at least for this underpass that heads from West Mifflin through Whitaker to Homestead/Munhall," said Allegheny County Emergency Services Chief Matt Brown.
As of now, there's no word on what caused the truck to crash or where it was headed for its delivery.
Those who live and work nearby are asking drivers to be careful and cautious coming through the area, saying this isn't the first accident to happen here.
"People drive recklessly. They're texting, on the phone all the time," Hagood said, adding, "I see a lot of crashes, accidents. But never this bad."
