Boulder County

Barbara Lawlor

On Monday, about 11a.m., a 4,000 gallon diesel truck lost control and rolled onto its side at the 32 mile-maker of Boulder Canyon. The driver was not injured and there were no other vehicles involved, but the truck was sideways on the highway closing the canyon down for at least five hours while members of the Boulder County Hazmat Team, Boulder Emergency Services, Boulder County Sheriff's Office, Nederland and Sugarloaf fire departments and the Colorado State Patrol worked to keep diesel fuel from leaking into Boulder Creek.

Firefighters diverted the flow of diesel from the creek by hand digging a ditch away from the creek and building dams. Front end loaders joined in the effort to keep the diesel from spreading into the creek.

Nederland Fire Protection District chief Rick Dirr says that the Sugarloaf firefighters did a good job of keeping the spill out of the water. He also praised the driver of the tanker for keeping the truck in the middle of the road, stopping it from rolling into the creek.

Canyon traffic was detoured to either Magnolia Road or Sugarloaf Road. Road block signs at that intersection looked all too familiar to residents who were turned away at that very same spot for almost two months while workers repaired flood damage in the canyon.