Sunday, July 11, 1999

An overturned tanker truck carrying about 7,500 gallons of methanol caused Caddo Parish Sheriff’s deputies to close La. 1 at Rodessa Sunday night. The road could remain closed until mid-morning Monday.

Sheriff’s Deputy Edward Rawls said he saw the northbound tanker sliding along the highway and into the roadside ditch after it rolled over in a sharp left-hand curve in the road at the southern edge of Rodessa. Rawls said the driver of Quality Carriers truck, Everette Dukes, 45, of Baton Rouge, was trapped in the cab of the truck when it came to rest on the driver’s side door. The accident occurred at about 5 p.m. Sunday.

Rawls said he cited Dukes for careless operation of a vehicle. Dukes was checked by emergency medical personnel from Caddo Fire District No. 8 and was taken to North Caddo Hospital with no apparent injuries.

Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Sgt. John Briery, who headed the Sheriff’s Hazardous Materials Unit at the scene, said about 5,000 gallons of the methanol leaked out of the truck, but that the material was contained in the immediate vicinity of the accident. Briery said a Kansas City Southern train scheduled to travel through the area close to the accident scene was stopped as a precautionary measure. An environmental cleanup crew was at the site at 9 p.m. Briery said the cleanup would take most of the night.

Rawls said La. 1 traffic was detoured via the Rodessa-Hosston Road and Mira-Myrtis Road. The road will be closed until the cleanup is complete.