A truck carrying an unsecured load of “human waste” triggered a series of accidents on Monday night, resulting in several collisions on Interstate 95 in Bridgeport, Your Content has learned.
Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported in the incidents. The northbound lanes of I-95 were closed for approximately three hours as authorities worked to address the situation.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 34-year-old man from Waterbury, has been taken into custody and charged by state police. The charges include reckless driving, unsecured load, and multiple counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
The driver, who was aware of the leaking load, was released on a $25,000 bond. His court appearance is scheduled for August 8 at the state Superior Court in Bridgeport.
The incident unfolded when the driver, operating a 2017 Mack truck pulling a trailer, caused slick road conditions due to the leakage of human waste in the northbound lanes of the highway. State police described the road as contaminated with fecal matter, creating hazardous circumstances for other motorists.
Troopers from Troop G in Bridgeport responded to the area between Exit 27 and Exit 30 on I-95 northbound after receiving a report about the semi-truck leaking an unidentified substance onto the highway. Despite the report, the truck did not stop and exited the northbound lanes of I-95.
At approximately 11 p.m., a motorcyclist lost control on the slippery road, resulting in a fall and minor injuries. The motorcyclist, a 36-year-old man from Bridgeport, was transported to Bridgeport Hospital for medical evaluation.
Around the same time, a Toyota Avalon driver lost control, skidding into the right shoulder of the highway and colliding with a concrete barrier. Thankfully, no injuries were sustained, and the driver was not deemed at fault.
Subsequently, multiple other vehicles experienced similar accidents under the treacherous road conditions. A Honda Civic collided with two concrete barriers, while a Honda Civic LX and a Honda CR-V LX veered across lanes and hit the right shoulder.
In each case, no injuries were reported, and the drivers were found not to be at fault, except for the Honda Civic driver, who was driving without a license and received an infraction.
The most significant crash occurred at approximately 11:41 p.m., involving the leaking truck and two state police cruisers. The cruisers were parked in the median with their emergency lights on, assisting with the aftermath of the previous collisions.
A Freightliner tractor-trailer traveling in the left center lane jackknifed and struck the driver’s side of another tractor-trailer, causing it to collide with one of the state police cruisers in the median. The impact pushed the police cruiser forward, causing it to strike the other parked cruiser. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in this incident.
Following the events, the driver of the leaking truck was contacted by his employer and instructed to pull over on Route 8 northbound to await the arrival of state troopers. State police arrested him on the right shoulder of the Exit 17 off-ramp.
Responding to the scene, in addition to state police, were personnel from the Department of Transportation, Bridgeport police and firefighters, and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, according to CT Post.