November 26, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

18-Wheeler Accident Sends One to Hospital

• Trucks diesel fuel tank ruptures in accident

An accident involving an 18-wheeler and a compact car sent one person to the hospital this morning. Shreveport firefighters were called to the intersection of Wallace Lake Road and Industrial Loop just after 11:00 a.m. where they found the patient in a crushed Mitsubishi Eclipse in the middle of the intersection facing west on Industrial Loop and the truck rested along the roadside north on St. Vincent Avenue (Wallace Lake Road turns into St. Vincent on the north of Industrial Loop).

Firefighters and paramedics treated and transported the driver of the Eclipse, Tabitha Schult, 22, of Shreveport to Willis Knighton Pierremont with minor injuries. The driver of the truck, Donald Watson, 24, of Ruckford, Illinois, was not injured in the accident but was cited by Shreveport Police for failure to yield. Apparently Watson was turning onto St. Vincent from the east bound lane of Industrial Loop when Schult’s vehicle, traveling west on Industrial Loop, struck the cab portion of the truck and ruptured its passenger side fuel tank.

Approximately 30 gallons of diesel fuel escaped before fire department HazMat crews were able to plug what were describes as two large tears in the tank. A private company was being called in to offload the remaining diesel in the damaged fuel tank, estimated to be around 70 gallons. ###