POCATELLO — A truck driver has been cited after Idaho State Police say the tanker he was driving sprung a leak, pouring gallons of sulfuric acid onto the road.
The incident happened the evening of Sept. 27.
According to investigators, Brent Carlson of Pocatello was hauling transporting 1,060 pounds of 93-98 percent sulfuric acid when he noticed the tank was leaking near Fort Hall Mine Road and US 91 in Bannock County.
Carlson kept driving, police say, heading more than ten miles north into Pocatello. The driver ultimately stopped at a home on McKinley Avenue, where he attempted to stop the leak.
About 60 gallons of acid leaked from the truck onto city and county roads during the trip, forcing clean-up crews to work through the night.
Carlson suffered minor burns when he tried to fix the leak.
According to the Associated Press, a man who was cycling along Bannock Highway was also hurt when he rode into a puddle of the acid and crashed his bike. The cyclist, 48-year-old Rob Ashley of Pocatello, broke his hip and suffered road rash.
Idaho State Police cautioned that anyone who drove through the spill could have severely damaged their tires and vehicle if they did not immediately wash away the acid with a commercial sprayer.
Carlson was ultimately cited for allowing the release of the hazardous material in violation of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Standard.