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A portion of Highway 225 in southeast Houston was closed temporarily after a fiery 18-wheeler crash. The accident happened on westbound Highway 225 between Scarborough and Allen Genoa Road. The road had to be closed while a hazmat spill was cleaned up as a result of the 18-wheeler crash. The cause of the crash may have been a fire due to overheated brakes. The truck driver was not injured.
Hazmat is short for hazardous material. Many semi-trucks carry loads that are dangerous. Some of these materials include such things as gasoline and petroleum products. Hazardous materials are any flammable or poisonous materials, including biological, chemical, radiological and physical, that could pose a threat to people, animals or the environment if released without proper precautions.
In addition to carrying a hazardous load, 18-wheelers may spill dangerous materials in a crash. For instance, if the brake or fuel lines break, the truck’s fluids can spill out onto the roadway, causing a potentially dangerous situation. A spark could cause a huge fire to happen in the accident scene.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, categorizes hazardous materials into classes based on their potential risks. Class 1 includes explosives, class 2 gasses, class 3 flammable liquids, class 4 flammable solids, class 5 oxidizers, class 6 poisons, class 7 radioactive materials, class 8 corrosives, and class 9 miscellaneous hazards such as hazardous waste.
Some roadways in the Houston area are designated as Haz-Mat routes. Any vehicles carrying hazardous materials must use these routes when traveling through the area. For example, the 610 Loop is a required haz-mat route as is the Pierce Elevated and Highway 59 Overpass. Truck drivers could be ticketed and fined for violating the law.
Other drivers should be aware of these routes and avoid them if possible. These highways are more likely to be used by large commercial trucks, especially those carrying dangerous loads. When a truck crashes it must be immediately evaluated to determine whether there is a haz-mat situation. If so, the area will need to be secured to protect the public from the hazard. Then, a special haz-mat team must clean up the material and render the area safe before it can be reopened to traffic.
Sharing the roads with trucks is a fact of life. We need trucks to transport our goods from place to place. The Houston area is a hub for trucks traveling across the state and country. Other drivers need to take care when they drive on highways and other roads where trucks are present. If you are involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, you could be seriously injured.
If you were hurt in an 18-wheeler crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and any other damages that you suffered as a result of the other driver’s negligence. Our Texas truck accident attorneys attorneys have been winning huge settlements for over 35 years.
Contact our truck wreck legal team to discuss the details of your accident in a free case consultation. (281) 893-0760.
Resources
Houston Police Department http://www.houstontx.gov/police/teu/haz-mat.htm
Institute of Hazardous Materials Management https://ihmm.org/hazardous-materials-harmonization-with-international-standards/
Houston Police Department http://www.houstontx.gov/police/teu/haz-mat.htm
U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop08058/20.htm
