No one was injured, but a morning rush hour accident involving a jack-knifed tractor trailer caused some big headaches on a busy Forsyth County thoroughfare.
Cpl. Doug Rainwater with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said the incident happened around 8:15 a.m. on Matt Highway near Old Etowah Road.
"The tractor trailer was traveling and some vehicles came to a stop in front [of it], so instead of the tractor trailer hitting the vehicles in front, he put on his brakes and he avoided the cars, but at the same time his tractor trailer jack-knifed in the roadway," Rainwater said.
As the rig jack-knifed, one of the fuel tanks on the truck ruptured, spilling a large amount of fuel into the road. Rainwater did not specify how much fuel was spilled, but classified the spill as "major."
"Because of the diesel spill, the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] is on the way to check out the surrounding area because there are a lot of creeks and waterways in that part of Forsyth County," Rainwater said.
Rainwater said it appeared most of the fuel stayed on the road, but environmental officials will have to assess the damage before the road can be re-opened. He estimated the road would remain closed until around 11:30 a.m.
Until the road reopens, traffic is being re-routed at Poole's Mill Road and Creighton Road, according to Rainwater. He said using Old Federal Road to Yellow Creek Road also will help motorists circumvent the affected area.
