Adelaide's South Eastern Freeway reopens after milk tanker truck crash
Updated
A man has been seriously injured in a crash between a truck and a milk tanker on Adelaide's South Eastern Freeway, blocking traffic for six hours.
Citybound lanes reopened about 6:30am, and the up-track partially reopened at 7:30am.
A rigid truck crashed into the back of a B-double tanker carrying 23,000 litres of milk on the city-bound side of the South Eastern Freeway near the Stirling exit at 1:30am.
The driver of the smaller truck, a 40-year-old man from Murray Bridge, had to be freed from the wreckage and was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious injuries.
The crash ruptured the tanker, with about 17,000 litres of milk spilling out onto the road.
HAZMAT crews were called in to contain the spill.
Debris from the crash was spread across both sides of the freeway, forcing a total closure of the road for several hours.
SA Police Senior Constable Dave Muir urged drivers to avoid the area.
"Please take alternative routes if you need to be in that area," he said.
The Environment Protection Authority is on the scene trying to prevent too much of the milk reaching local creeks and dams.
Site contamination officer Heidi Hessling said staff would clean up what they could from the roadway, sumps and stormwater system.
"Aside from removing it to the extent we can, dilution and allowing it to soak into the soil are quite appropriate methods," Ms Hessling said.
Topics: road, accidents, stirling-5152, sa, adelaide-5000
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