Tanker Truck Carrying Chlorine Hits Pole on West Main Road

A tanker truck carrying about 2,000 gallons of a chlorine solution struck a utility pole on West Main Road Friday morning, detouring traffic for more than an hour during rush hour.

No injuries and no chemical leaks occurred during the incident, according to Chief Ronald Doire at the scene.

The accident happened just before 8 a.m. as a Schneider National truck traveling northbound on West Main Road attempted to make the right turn onto The Boulevard.

The shut down West Main Road between Dexter and Dudley streets and detoured traffic as National Grid was on scene to attach a secondary support pole to the snapped pole, much like a splint. No power lines came down, but one telecommunications wire was downed to one residence across the street and there was some concern that telecommunications wires were resting atop the tanker, Doire noted.

The incident occurred as the truck driver was attempting to correct the truck's turn.

“The truck was on its way to the water treatment plant in Newport. The driver couldn’t make the corner and attempted to back up when a portion of the rear tanker, which sticks out a bit, hit the pole and just snapped it,” Doire said.

First responders were concerned that the truck was carrying a chlorine-type solution and that the truck was located just above a storm drain. However an inspection of the truck showed there were no leaks, Doire said.

“It appears there’s no damage to the truck. The outer shell was dented a little bit, but there's an inside tank that wasn't affected” Doire said.

At the time of this report, the closed section of West Main Road was expected to reopen momentarily as National Grid completed its repair.