[PHOTOS] Hazmat Responds to Overturned Tractor Trailer in Kingston Pond

A giant truck carrying a farm tractor overturned near Kingston, NY, ending up upside-down in a local pond. Not only were hazardous materials potentially spilled into the water, but first responders also faced electrocution dangers that made the salvage effort even more difficult.

Overturned Truck Near Kingston, NY

The City of Kingston Fire Department took to Facebook to share the impressive response to the accident:

A hazardous materials situation [was reported] at a motor vehicle accident in the Town of Shawangunk...  While at the scene firefighters worked to contain a spill of leaking materials, including diesel fuel, from a vehicle that had overturned into a body of water.

Emergency Response in Kingston, NY

They continued to report that not only had the truck overturned in the pond, but the accident had destroyed utility polls as well. "The situation was made more difficult as the vehicle had taken down... electric wires in the accident", they added. "Personnel worked for several hours until the vehicle could be removed and the spill was contained".

HAZMAT in Kingston, NY

In the photo above, you can also see the guardrail, installed to keep vehicles on the road and out of the water, flattened like a pancake. While no injuries were reported, the fuel leaks were of high concern. The Hazardous Materials Team was on hand to help deal with the spill, and the road was closed while crews worked on retrieving the truck and tractor and repairing the downed powerlines.

Get our free mobile app

Want more impressive emergency responses? Check out the adorable rescue of the dog stuck deep in a crevasse at Minnewaska State Park, and keep scrolling to check out the rescue of a horse from an upstate swimming pool below.