Utility truck goes over guardrail and triggers hazmat response in West Deptford
A crash on route 295 caused fuel leak that led to a tributary
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A utility truck crash along Route 295 in West Deptford sent the vehicle over a guardrail and left it perched on a steep embankment overlooking the Hessian Run Tributary on Wednesday morning.
Gloucester County Emergency Management said the crash happened before 7:30 a.m. in the northbound lanes near the ramp by West Deptford High School.
New details from the scene reveal just how dire the situation was for the occupants. Two tow truck drivers who witnessed the crash were among the first to respond. They reported that because the truck was partially submerged in the tributary, the water line had reached just below the nose of one of the trapped occupants.
The driver and a passenger were rescued by an NJDOT Safety Service Patrol operator, bystanders and a West Deptford police officer.
Both were taken to a nearby hospital with non‑life‑threatening injuries.
The crash caused a fuel leak that reached a tributary, where the West Deptford Fire Department and Westville Fire Department worked with county hazmat crews to manage recovery efforts.
While all lanes on Route 295 have since been reopened, the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
