YORK COUNTY, Pa. --Interstate 83 in Southern York County is back open after a near 12-hour shutdown.
A tanker carrying liquid oxygen crashed and rolled over around 6 this morning, releasing the hazardous chemical onto the roadway and forcing drivers off of it.
Liquid oxygen rolls down the Interstate 83 exit ramp near Glen Rock in Springfield Township.
“It’s been a long day," said Bryan Ream, Loganville Volunteer Fire Chief.
This Praxair truck carrying the fluid northbound on 83 crashing around 6 a.m., hitting a guard rail, going into an embankment, and rolling over, according to Chief Ream.
“The position of the tanker - it was sloped downhill," he explained.
A challenging cleanup for Hazmat crews because of the angle and because of the danger of the material.
“It can act as a miniature detonator," said Chief Ream.
Officials say it took hours to clean up. That part of 83 shutdown from sunrise to sunset to keep travelers safe, stopping traffic completely and crippling hundreds of drivers.
“An hour and ten minutes exactly to go one mile," said Lynn Sulyma, who was traveling to Washington D.C.
"Just two miles, and it was an hour and a half," said Angie Waltman, making the drive home to Loganville.
"It took an hour and a half," said Danny Evans of Etters who was just trying to deliver U.S. mail. "It’s got to be on time!" he said.
Drivers spent the time stuck in a variety of ways.
“I got my tunes… I’m okay," said Sulyma.
“Just listening to music, looking ahead," said Waltman.
Meanwhile, Chick-Fil-A in Shrewsbury gave free food to the first responders stuck outside all day.
“Understanding that we could provide a bunch of first responders in the area and give them just another boost of energy, something hot and warm," said Andy Cole, a team leader for Chick-Fil-A.
Officials say the driver of the Praxair truck suffered minor injuries, and State Police are investigating the cause of the crash.