Hydrogen gas leak shuts major Connecticut highway

(Associated Press)

The Associated Press

2/12/2008

WATERBURY, Conn. – Dozens of homes were evacuated Tuesday because an overturned tractor trailer rig was leaking highly flammable hydrogen gas, police said.

The flatbed truck, carrying canisters of compressed gas, overturned about 5:30 a.m. on Interstate 84 in the Middlebury and Waterbury area.

Middlebury Police Chief Richard Guisti said 60 to 70 people were evacuated from their homes and were taken to a shelter at the Fire Department.

Guisti said the highway would remain shut down for most of the day.

"We're waiting for a company out of Massachusetts to attempt to unload the vehicle before we can have it removed from the site," Guisti said.

He said the I-84 shutdown meant local roads in his town and Waterbury were congested almost immediately and one, Connecticut 64, a main thoroughfare in his town, remained almost at a standstill five hours after the truck overturned.

State police said the driver of the overturned truck suffered minor injuries.