A crash resulted in a hazardous materials situation at Death Valley National Park earlier this week.
Around 2:15 p.m. on Monday, March 12, a truck driver heading eastbound on California Highway 190 lost control of his vehicle near Emigrant Campground. The truck careened into the desert, landed on its side, and caught on fire.
National Park Service protection rangers responded with an ambulance, which transported the driver to the hospital. Around two hours later, mutual aid from Nye County, Nevada came in the form of hazmat and medical personnel, as well as a fire engine. Additionally, units from California Highway Patrol, Inyo County, and Caltrans responded in Death Valley.
While the scene was being investigated, Highway 190 was closed for over seven hours.
The truck driver was transporting a slurry mix of cyanide and diluted and neutralized chromatic acid. The company for whom the driver is employed is working with Park Service resource staff to clean up the spill.
