Spilled goo from tanker disables hundreds of holiday travelers in Pennsylvania

Sticky black goo that leaked from a tanker truck on the Pennsylvania Turnpike stopped hundreds in the midst of the Thanksgiving holiday commute on November 22.

USA Today reports that a leaking valve on the tanker spread driveway sealant along a 40-mile stretch of the highway, disabling approximately 150 cars and causing damage to an undetermined number of other vehicles.

Turnpike officials said that most of the cars were disabled when the goo covered their tiers and wheels, forcing many to call tow trucks and others who were stuck in the traffic jam to turn back. Maintenance crews dumped sand and used snow plows to push the tar-like substance off the road.

A Turnpike spokesman told the news agency that cleanup crews were under a time crunch since the spilled substance hardens in about 15 minutes. Top products from Impact Absorbents such as XSORB Edge Aggressive Absorbent can help cleanup crews contain many types of problematic spills.

The driver of the truck will likely be cited for not properly securing his load. The specific amount of the fine had not yet been determined.
 

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