At approximately 5:41 a.m. the New Castle County Paramedics, Minquas Fire Company of Newport, Christiana Fire Company, and Cranston Heights Fire Company were dispatched to Interstate 95 northbound at Basin Road for a motor vehicle collision with a person reported trapped.
New Castle County Paramedics arrived on scene to find a pick-up truck hauling a trailer into the rear of a tractor-trailer. The driver of the pick-up, a 53-year-old male was trapped in his vehicle for approximately thirty minutes before being freed from the wreckage by fire department personnel.
The patient was treated on scene and throughout the extrication by New Castle County Paramedics for lower extremity and internal injuries. The patient was transported by Minquas of Newport Fire Company ambulance with New Castle County Paramedics on board to Christiana Hospital in serious condition.
HAZMAT crews were also requested to the scene to deal with a hazardous material incident. Officials have told FSU that the trailer contains “organic peroxides”.
The organic peroxide material needs to be cooled or it can become volatile, according to the officials. Crews have brought dry ice to the scene to keep the material cool.
Most organic peroxides are lighter than water and can burn on top of liquid surfaces. Any fire would probably resemble a gasoline fire and could be explosive and intense.
I-95 northbound and southbound in the area Route 141 remain closed. DSP has advised that the roadway will be closed for an extended period due to the hazardous material. Motorists should seek alternate routes of travel.
The road closure is anticipated to be lengthy, with no estimated time for a re-opening.
