Dump truck crashes on Fallbrook Rd.

BY ERIC HRIN (STAFF WRITER)
Published: March 9, 2010

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Photo: N/A, License: N/A, Created: 2010:03:08 15:18:27

Review Photo/ERIC HRIN Workers try to free this dump truck following a crash Monday on Fallbrook Road in the Troy area.

Dump truck accident on Fallbrook Road

video Dump truck accident on Fallbrook Road Dump truck accident on Fallbrook Road

TROY - Jack Seeley, a foreman with the state Department of Transportation, said the driver of a dump truck that crashed on Fallbrook Road outside Troy Monday was "real lucky."

The truck came to rest on a wooded hillside along a steep portion of the road coming down Armenia Mountain. Seeley said he was told that the driver was able to escape.

Reports from the scene were that the driver was able to climb out of the vehicle moments after the truck left the road and overturned shortly after 9 am. A report wasn't available from state police at Towanda Monday night.

As people worked to tow the vehicle from the scene, the road was closed for several hours with PennDOT spokesperson Rick Mason saying that it wasn't expected to be opened until about 5 p.m.

Jody Place, Penelec area manager, said that the crash resulted in two customers losing power.

Due to the recovery effort, she said Penelec workers couldn't get to the scene to replace a broken pole until after 4 p.m. After that, one of the customers was restored, though she didn't have an exact time that power came on for the customer. The other customer didn't get power back until 8 p.m., she said.

The accident occurred about halfway between Farmers Valley Road and the top of Armenia mountain.

Seeley said the truck was traveling downhill, and was hauling material away from a gas well on Sweeney Road. The truck had "Bishop Bros." on its door. It also had wording that said "residual waste."

When asked why the removal of the truck was taking as long as it was, Seeley said that workers had to be careful to not rupture its tanks.

The engine and transmission were removed separately with heavy equipment, which hoisted it in the air. Seeley said it was severed when the crash occurred. The front end of the truck appeared to be obliterated. With the front end of the truck gone and having to maneuver the vehicle between the trees, the towing operation was involved, he noted. It was the worst he's seen, he said.

"It's not an easy job," he said.

Seeley said the truck was loaded with waste from a gas well and it had spilled on the ground as a result of the crash. He said the gas company would probably clean it up, though he wasn't sure.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; e-mail: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

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14 posted comments

I am pretty much neutral in the natural gas vs. no gas debate, but I would like to comment on the "material" or "waste" which was supposedly spilled. In all fairness what "waste" would be hauled in an open dump truck? If it is anything toxic you would think a legitimate containment unit would be used to haul away "waste". I know the gas industry likes to cut corners, but I don't necessarily blame the gas company - what about the hauling company itself? They have themselves to blame, not the gas company.

We have milk tankers traveling both our local roads and state highways. Milk in itself is not "toxic", but in large quantities spilled along a roadway it can be hazardous to the environment. Does anyone remember a few years ago Pelton's Trucking had a series of crashes? But noooooo, we can overlook/forget local haulers, but not when it concerns the gas company - watch out!

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yrubzt,  03/11/10 9:23
If DRILL DRILL DRILL knows how to go to the "meetings they have go to there main office in this area" I wish he would clue us in. CHK and Talisman are private companies and as far as I know their meetings are not open to the public. If they had meetings which were public at their offices, I would be the first one to attend.
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Would love to attend gas company meetings,  03/11/10 6:04
Before you people go and pointing fingers you need to get your facts straight and know what you even talking about. You sound like a bunch of idiot. If you want to know what everything consist of go to the meetings they have go to there main office in this area. You have the right to know as much as everyone else. I think this area needs to open your eyes and get you heads on straight. Dont hate the energy companys hate the right people. Hate the ones that signed the paper and let them drill on there land. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE DONT HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT ANYTHING.
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DRILL DRILL DRILL,  03/10/10 7:34
It goes without saying, #1 = LIVES is the top concern (why is it # 2 in your note?) But the article provided the good news that the driver was not hurt, so that didn't need further comment.

YOUR #1 - how do you or any of us know the waste was not hazardous?

The bottom line is when accidents happen (and they WILL) and when the water or air (lots of methane released in the current process. there are better processes, but the gas companies don't want to cut into their profit margins) is polluted (the gas industry IS EXEMPT from federal clean air and water acts) it is ALL of us who will suffer the consequences, not only the land owner.

So, yeah, we get that you WANT the benefits of drilling. I could use some more money, too. BUT WE NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE! This is OUR home. WE need to make sure safeguards are in place (they aren't yet), sufficient monitoring is done(it's NOT! The gas industry lobbied and succeeded in having our local conservation districts taken OUT of that part of the process!).

Because there are OUR HOMES, it's OUR responsibility to make sure best management practices are actually used. We cannot blithely take the word of the gas companies; their bottom line is the dollar sign.

My #1 concern AND bottom line is sustainable living. It's ignorance to not see beyond the dollar signs to the FACT that breathing clean air and drinking clean water is paramount to LIFE.

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get the FRAC outta here!,  03/10/10 7:15
The man is fine, right? So there is no concern about his life at this point given he was lucky. If we knew more about how the truck overturned, then we would know how to prevent similar accidents with the potential to injure or kill others in the future. Was the truck going too fast? Was it a mechanical failure? Was it overloaded? Did he travel onto a soft berm? These are the things we should hear about in future articles. Whether you are leased or not, we will all have to bear with the trials and tribulations of the drilling program, which include these accidents and spills. You can't just say its ok because some property owner signed a lease to drill. The companies have a responsibility to conduct their operations in a safe and legal manner. Every time safety is compromised, a shortcut is taken, or integrity is shortchanged, the resource is exploited. A safe, environmentally clean operation is what we want, not maximum profits. It doesn't matter who was driving the truck, local or transient gas worker, once the truck supports the gas operation the incident becomes a gas related incident.
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Ignoring safety for cash,  03/09/10 8:47
#1 is the material he was carrying was not hazzardous. #2 the mans life should be more of a concern speaking that the land owners are giving the gas companys permission to do this. so the bottom line isnt the resources benieth us are being exploited. its the land owners are in it for the cash. and by the way the driver is fine and the mess has been cleaned up
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some people blow smoke,  03/09/10 6:57
It is not unreasonable to expect to be told whether the DEP was called, or responded to the scene.
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Spill Impacts must be minimized,  03/09/10 6:18
As always.....come down on the gas companies when something goes wrong. I am sure glad that they are here because according to public opinion around here, nothing is the fault of the locals anymore. Blame the gas companies. Thank god nobody was killed. Keep on working, gas folks. Not everyone here is that ignorant.
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Give Me A Breka,  03/09/10 4:23
It is very unreasonable to expect that the cost of who pays for the cost of an accident is resolved in seven hours.
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Robert,  03/09/10 12:01
The bottom line is that our roads are not meant for this industry, and all will suffer tremendously as a result of this resource beneath us that is being exploited.
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Money will not ease the suffering,  03/09/10 11:19
WHAT was in the waste, and WHY by 5pm was there still a QUESTION about whether the gas company would be taking care of cleanup?

HOW did the accident happen? driver error? if so, how - drug, alcohol? in not, road conditions? ice, water, snow?

WHO was the driver and why un-named in the article?

WHO paid for the impressive removal - the truck owner, or MY taxes, or the gas company?

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Where is the REAL news coverage?,  03/09/10 7:51
To: The Crash is bigger news. Sure glad your out there looking out for mother earth and making sure the "evil gas co" is held accountable. Take a deep breath. How about we thank God that the driver is ok. How bout we thank God that no one else was injured. Based on your listed concerns that you could care less about the loss of $200,000.00 worth of equipment by Bishop Bros., but I'm sure they don't care either I'm sure they're greatful they didn't have to go tell a spouse and kids that their husband or wife was killed in an accident. Come on people these are neighbors and friends that some would say are not news worthy. You make me sick.
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You Make me Sick,  03/09/10 7:32
The spill IS bigger news - and that this newspaper does NOT headline that or search for the answer, while huge banner ads run "Thanks to Chesapeake Energy" right beside ALL stories online here lets you know who cares about what.
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get the FRAC outta here!,  03/09/10 7:18
What exactly was the waste spilled? Was it hazardous to emergency workers and to the environment? Why is there a question whether the gas company would clean up the spill? What gas company was responsible for the material? Was the DEP called? What efforts were made to contain the spilled material? This incident needs to be covered in more depth.
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The spill is bigger news than the crash,  03/09/10 4:38