OAKHURST, Calif. – A Bakersfield man was involved in an accident that resulted in a dangerous situation in Oakhurst.
According to CHP, on Wednesday at approximately 3 p.m., 26-year-old John Costello was driving a 2005 International southbound on State Route 49, south of Harmony Lane. He was driving 45-50 miles per hour. He had a load of tree rounds in a roll-off bin attached to the bed of his truck.
Costello was driving at a high speed when he entered a sharp left curve. This caused the load of tree rounds to shift to the right, breaking the load straps.
The bin became detached and collided with the dirt embankment. Costello veered to the right and also collided with the dirt embankment.
The truck came up to a stop, blocking both lanes of traffic. The right side fuel tank was damaged due to the crash, causing about 45 gallons of diesel fuel to spill onto the roadway and dirt shoulder.
Both lanes of State Route 49 were closed for nearly an hour, backing up traffic for miles in both directions.
The scene was declared a HazMat spill incident. CalTrans and Madera County Fire responded to the scene, and Madera County Health Department was advised and approved clean-up measures.
The driver was reported to have no injuries.
