Westbound lanes of Interstate 40 in Johnston County were partially closed for two hours Thursday afternoon after a full-loaded tanker trailer came loose from a semi.
The mishap occurred at the 312 mile marker near the Highway 42 interchange.
The tanker contained over 6,000 gallons of used hydraulic fluid. The truck was headed from Mt. Olive, NC to Youngstown, Ohio when the tanker detached from the truck and the kingpin dug a long trench into the pavement on I-40 before stopping in the roadway.
No fluids spilled from the tanker but traffic quickly began backing up on I-40. Troopers were able to allow drivers to slowly pass on the right shoulder until the roadway could be patched and a second truck brought to the scene to offload the hydraulic fluid from the first tanker.
Investigators said it appears the kingpin on the trailer broke and that it had been properly attached by the driver before leaving Mt. Olive. No injuries were reported. No charges were filed. Photos by John Payne
