![]() ![]() Washington County is now a bigger magnet for trucks due to an explosion in the growth of logistics and warehouse hubs that has attracted the likes of Amazon and FedEx 2.7 million square feet of warehouse and logistics terminals are under construction in the county, adding to the 1.5 million square feet recently brought online, according to real estate investment analyst Colliers. “The volume has increased tremendously over the last few years,” said Washington County Sheriff Brian Adams, who wears a cross to remember the loss of his nephew Kannon Shives, who died with two other teens in an accident in August 2022 on the same highway in a crash involving a truck. The truck-related crash rate along the highway is also three times higher than the state’s average, and Hagerstown is on the nation’s top 20 list of cities for hazardous materials accidents, according to the U.S. Nearly 20,000 trucks use I-81 in Maryland per day, according to the report. Truck traffic on Maryland’s section of 81 has has increased exponentially since the road was first conceived, according a report from the Maryland Department of Transportation. Symptoms may include: coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath, or even suffocation. However, inhalation of high concentrations of ammonium nitrate dust can cause respiratory tract irritation. Under normal handling conditions, ammonium nitrate is not harmful. About three gallons spilled on to the road, according to MSP. It is not clear how much ammonium nitrate the truck was carrying. Numerous emergency response units responded to the scene to assist with the crash and cleanup. The driver of the truck, Steven Patrick Norfolk, 32, of Pennsylvania, was transported by ambulance to Meritus Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. Lanes of the interstate were closed and businesses within 1,500 feet of the scene were asked to evacuate.Ī preliminary investigation found a tire blew on the truck, causing it to swerve off the road, through a guardrail and down an embankment. MSP troopers said the truck was carrying ammonium nitrate when it overturned. Maryland State Police responded to a report of an overturned tanker truck around 6:15 a.m. Though only a small amount of the chemicals the tanker truck was carrying escaped, and no injuries were caused, the incident has intensified concerns about safety on the busiest truck route in Maryland. Interstate 81 through Hagerstown was blocked for hours Monday after a truck carrying hazardous cargo had a blow out and veered off the road early in the morning. Hazmat accident on I-81 intensifies focus on overcrowded road ![]()
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