Tanker spill cleanup continues Monday

SWANSEA, MASS. (WPRI) - Crews continued to clean up after a tanker rollover early Sunday morning. It happened on I-195 in Swansea, between exits 2 and 3.

The tanker flipped on the eastbound side onto the shoulder shortly before 6:00 AM. Massachusetts State Police say the driver, 55-year-old Kim Kilbreth, lost control of the truck. The tanker, which was carrying 12,500 gallons of gasoline, spilled about 8,500 gallons of gas into a wetland area nearby. Foam trucks spread a blanket of chemicals on and around the truck to prevent the gas and vapors from catching fire.

Firefighters also tested the air quality at Swansea Mall, just off the highway from the crash. While they did, police shut down the interstate in both directions, tying up traffic for hours, not just on 195 -- bottlenecked with the diverted traffic -- but on Route 6 as well. Drivers who tried the alternate route to get around the mess also found a parking lot: "I was at a red light," said Jill Lavers. "It must have been five or six times before I got through."

The state police said Kilbreth was not hurt. The tanker is owned by Cape Cod Gas, while the truck hauling it is owned by KDK Enterprises of Wareham.

Representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection were on the scene Sunday night evaluating the effects of the gas on the environment.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.