Tanker spill shuts down busy Winder Highway

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Fire crews are working to control a tanker spill that shut down a busy highway Monday.

The accident is at Winder Highway north of 316 in Gwinnett County, where a tanker is on its side.

Police said a jeep crossed the center line and hit the gasoline tanker.

"That made the tractor-trailer lose control, and ultimately the trailer tipped over and spilled quite a bit of fuel," Gwinnett County police Cpl. Jake Smith said.

Another truck driver, who was off duty in his own car, raced into the thickening fumes.

"(He) quickly approached the truck driver and determined that he was not able to get out of the truck on his own and actually removed him from the vehicle," Smith told Channel 2's Jeff Dore.

Gwinnett fire Lt. Eric Eberley stressed the seriousness of the fumes produced from the accident.

"Any kind of ignition that lights the fuel that's on the ground, it could potentially explode the fuels that's inside the tanker," Eberley said.

Dore said 8,500 gallons of fuel was on board, and several thousands of gallons of fuel on the ground.

"We have built several dams in a nearby creek to help catch some of the spill off. It is estimated that several thousand gallons of gasoline had spilled into the creek. Cleanup crews are on the scene attempting to recover gas out of the water," fire officials said in a statement just after 4 p.m.

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WSBTV