Semi Rollover w/Haz Mat Leak Causes Problems Near Mt. Vernon

A semi tank truck overturned along I-64 outside Mt. Vernon Monday morning, shutting down the interstate for several hours.

The semi was exiting the westbound lanes of the interstate onto Illinois Route 37, but state police say the driver was driving at too high a rate of speed. The rig ran off the outside of the ramp and overturned. Investigative details point to driver fatigue as a contributing factor in the crash. The tank, containing ethanol, had a small leak due to the crash. First responders set up a prescribed isolation distance of 150 feet from the scene.

While the semi was being offloaded and uprighted, there was a 1,000 foot radius perimeter set up around the scene as a precautionary measure. As a result, as of 7:50am, about three hours after the crash occurred, both I-64 east and westbound, and Illinois Route 37, were closed for approximately five hours. Once the offloading and uprighting process had been completed, the roadways were reopened with only the exit ramp from I-64 westbound to Illinois 37 and the entrance ramp from Illinois 37 to westbound I-64 remaining closed.

Hazardous material cleanup crews were called in to clean up the spill. At approximately 2pm, the exit ramps were reopened after the semi was removed and scene cleanup complete.

The driver of the semi, 57-year-old Donald Weyer of Jasper, Indiana, was not injured.