Fuel spill closes northbound I-65 lane for 2 hours

A northbound lane of Interstate 65 was closed for about two hours early Tuesday morning after a semi hit a guard rail, spilling fuel and oil onto the shoulder of the interstate.

Just after 2:30 a.m., Indiana State Police, the Amity Volunteer Fire Department and the Greenwood Fire Department responded to the accident on I-65, south of Franklin, Amity Fire Chief Jackie Brockman said. State police are working to determine what caused the accident.

When the semi hit the guard rail, the tractor struck it, rupturing a fuel tank, Indiana State Police Sgt. Rich Myers said.

The accident also caused the truck to leak oil. There was no fire, and the driver of the semi was not injured, Brockman said. Greenwood Fire Department’s hazardous material team was called, Brockman said.

Greenwood firefighters used an absorbent to clean up about 100 gallons of fuel that spilled from the ruptured fuel tank, Greenwood Fire Chief James Sipes said. Most of the fuel and oil spilled onto the gravel on the shoulder of the interstate.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management was reviewing the crash site Tuesday morning to determine if any of the soil or gravel off the side of I-65 would need to be removed due to contamination, Brockman said.

The crashed closed the right northbound lane of I-65 until about 5 a.m., and crews cleared the scene around 7:30 a.m., Brockman said.