Oil Tanker Spill Near Kinmundy

An oil tanker truck lost control and hit a tree before overturning on its side and splitting open while traveling on Kinoka Road west of Kinmudy early Monday afternoon.

Kinmundy-Alma Fire Chief Kevin Day says most of the 191 barrels of crude oil in the tank spilled.  

Day says the cab of the truck was not involved with the impact into the tree.  The driver, who has not yet been identified by State Police, was taken to Salem Township Hospital where he was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.  The driver was traveling west to dump his oil at Patoka when the crash occurred.

The Kinoka Road was closed to traffic for about five hours after the crash was reported at 1:14 Monday afternoon. 

Day says in addition to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, four cleanup crews were working to vacuum the oil out of the creek.