Hazmat spill shuts down Campbell St. at Strub Road
Concrete truck collides with pickup hauling asphalt sealer
PERKINS TWP. — A collision between a concrete truck and a pickup hauling a trailer carrying 1,200 gallons of asphalt sealer shut down Campbell Street at Strub Road for most of the day Tuesday.
Hundreds of gallons of the material leaked into the roadway and storm drains, according to Erie County Emergency Management Agency Director Tim Janovich.
No injuries were reported. Both drivers declined transport, Janovich said.
The crash happened just after 10 a.m. when a pickup towing a trailer-mounted tank filled with SealMaster asphalt sealer was headed southbound on Campbell Street and collided with an eastbound concrete truck at the intersection with Strub Road. The impact sheared the trailer from the truck, toppling the tank and ripping it open.
“Majority of it leaked on site there. A lot of it was puddled up and we got it stopped up,” Janovich said. He estimated 1,000 gallons spilled. About 100–200 gallons remained in the tank after crews lifted it onto a flatbed.
The asphalt sealer, a water-based product, is not dangerous when dried on pavement, but it poses environmental hazards if released into waterways. Some of the material reached a storm drain connected to Pipe Creek. Crews deployed absorbent booms and pads to trap the material and stop it from reaching the creek, Janovich said.
“We got pad down there and boom right at the start. I would say minimal [environmental damage], but we have to get the rest of the material out before it rains and flushes it out further,” he said.
Cleanup was still underway Tuesday afternoon. Contractors were called in to siphon material from the storm system and scrape asphalt sealer off the road. ThorWorks, a local company that produces SealMaster products, also sent equipment and containers to assist.
Multiple agencies responded, including Perkins police and fire, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, ODOT, and the Erie County engineer’s office. The health department was notified.
Janovich praised the cooperation of first responders but also noted a recurring problem during emergency responses: drivers ignoring barricades.
“We had a lot of people driving around barricades and even emergency vehicles while we had active workers in the middle of the sealer,” Janovich said. “It was dangerous… If we’ve got a road closed and emergency lights up, steer clear and take a different route.”
Campbell Street at Strub Road remained closed during cleanup. Officials expected the road to reopen later in the day.
