Jan. 21, 2015, 5:24 p.m. Update: The story was updated to include remarks from the Ohio EPA, which repsonded to the scene on Friday.
MANSFIELD, Ohio –U.S. Route 30 eastbound at the state Route 545 exit was still closed Saturday due to an accident between a semitruck and a Jeep that occurred Friday evening just before 5 p.m. The exit was expected to open again sometime Saturday afternoon.
The section between Ohio routes 13 and 545 on U.S. 30 remained closed from approximately 5:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Lt. Mike Carey with the Mansfield Fire Department stated Friday, “A lot of scrambled eggs–couple that with freezing temperatures, and now we’ve got frozen scrambled egg.”
According to Carey, the driver of the semi lost control of his rig and struck the jersey barriers in the center of US 30. A secondary vehicle, a jeep, also rolled onto the barrier. Carey stated the driver of the semi suffered minor injuries and was transported to MedCentral Hospital. No other injuries were reported at the time.
K&D of Ohio was in charge of the cleanup and it was “tricky,” according to Supervisor Matt Rogers. He said an estimated 4,000 gallons of eggs spilled and soon froze.
“The hardest part was getting [U.S.30] back open. The eggs were all frozen so we had to scrape it all off with machinery,” said Rogers. The frozen eggs made the road slick, so the city of Mansfield provided rock salt.
“All we need now is some pepper,” said Foreman for K&D of Ohio Matthew Wood, Sr. jokingly.
Rogers said some of the spillage ran over the edge of the highway but there was no property damage. Most of it, he said, ran into a catch basin. Then the eggs froze inside the run-off pipes.
“That’s what work we still have today. The exit should be back up and running in a couple hours,” stated Rogers, around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Lt. Mike Carey of the Mansfield Fire Department said Friday evening that the driver of the semi lost control and struck the jersey barriers in the center of US 30. The driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to OhioHealth MedCentral. A jeep was also involved in the accident. No other injuries were reported.
The spill on U.S. 30 occurred on elevated ground and the catch basin, which normally collects water and runs it down to level ground near Longview Avenue, collected some of the egg spill.
Thata’s why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responded to the scene Friday evening.
According to EPA Spokesperson Heidi Griesmer, the Ohio EPA responded to the egg spill on Friday evening. Anytime there is a spill of contaminated material, they respond to evaluate possible environmental ramifications, she said.
With this specific incident, their main concern was preventing the egg spill from reaching drinking water.
“Thanks to the quick action from the local fire department and Mansfield’s street department and sewer and water, they prevented any of the material from getting into waters of the state,” said Griesmer.
“The hardest part was getting [U.S.30] back open. The eggs were all frozen so we had to scrape it all off with machinery,” said Matt Rogers of K&D.
