Tanker Overturns on Dulles Greenway

An overturned tanker trunk just west of Belmont Ridge Road caused emergency workers to shut down westbound lanes of the Dulles Greenway for more than eight hours Thursday.

The first call came in at 5:24 a.m. for an accident involving a tanker truck near the Sycolin overpass. There are two Sycolin overpasses; the accident happened between them, a little closer to the western overpass, just west of Goose Creek.

Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management dispatched units from Moorefield, Leesburg, Ashburn and Loudoun stations to the scene.

The first units on the scene reported a 7,500-gallon diesel fuel tanker lying on its passenger side in westbound lanes on the Greenway. Despite earlier reports of a vehicle on fire, Loudoun Fire & Rescue reported that the truck not on fire at any point.

Emergency personnel airlifted the driver, who was reported to have been ejected and seriously injured, to a trauma center at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

The Loudoun County Hazardous Materials Response team from the Dulles South station reported to the scene to control the spill and check the tanker for leaks. The truck was lying over the guardrail, adjacent to a steep embankment, making access difficult. As workers transferred the diesel from the tanker to another truck, some spilled. The spill was contained.

The Loudoun County Fire Marshal issued a correction order to Holtzman Oil to clean up the spill. Holtzman Oil is working with private contractors on the cleanup, which is expected to take several days, according to Loudoun Fire & Rescue.

Representatives from the EPA and the DEQ also reported to the scene. At this time, no waterways have been compromised as a result of this incident, according to Loudoun Fire & Rescue.

The last Fire-Rescue unit cleared the scene at 1:54 p.m. The accident remains under investigation by the Virginia State Police.