Truck Overturns on I-5, Spills Fuel Into Creek

Firefighters were working Tuesday afternoon to contain a diesel fuel spill from a vehicle accident on northbound I-5 north of Laguna Blvd that was contaminating a nearby creek.

A truck overturned on the highway about 3:30 p.m. and its cab was partially submerged in Stonelake Creek, which runs alongside the road, said Cosumnes Fire Department Deputy Chief John Michelini. About 100 gallons of fuel spilled out into the water, he said.

Michelini said the driver of the truck suffered minor injuries and paramedics transported him to U.C. Davis Medical Center.

Firefighters were working from a boat and using oil booms to contain the fuel, which had leaked from the truck's gas tank. The truck's storage compartment was empty at the time of the crash.

Michelini said that the quantity of fuel that spilled was relatively small, though still a cause for concern.

"No fuel in a wildlife preserve is good, but in the context of the amount of water flowing through the area right now, it is a small amount," he said.

There was no word yet on the cause of the accident.