JASPER (KFSM) — Chlorine will need to be removed from a truck that crashed Monday (Jan. 8) near Jasper before the vehicle can be turned upright, according to state highway officials.
The truck was carrying liquid chlorine when it crashed on Arkansas 7 after the driver failed to negotiate a curve just north of Will Jones Road, said Danny Straessle, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
The truck finally came to a stop about 30 feet from the highway, Straessle said. He added that the driver seemed to be uninjured.
Emergency crews believed they’d need to evacuate everyone within a half-mile, which included two schools and the Newton County Nursing Home.
The Newton County Sheriff’s Office initially issued an evacuation warning over concerns about an airborne hazard, but canceled it shortly after when crews were able to contain the spill.
A nursing home official on Tuesday (Jan. 9) said they didn’t evacuate and residents were doing well.
