| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 827 | 2008-04-29 | Troop A | Illegal Transportation of Anhydrous Ammonia Closes I-10 |
| LOUISIANA STATE POLICE COURTESY LOYALTY SERVICE State Police, Troop A – News Release For Immediate Release Illegal Transportation of Anhydrous Ammonia Closes I-10 April 29, 2008 At 3:42 PM, on Tuesday, April 29, 2008, Louisiana State Police - Troop A was notified by a driver that a car exploded and smoke was coming from the vehicle. The incident occurred on Interstate 10 (eastbound) west of LA Hwy 42 in East Baton Rouge Parish. The driver walked into Troop A stating, he was behind a vehicle traveling eastbound on Interstate 10 (I-10) when the vehicle blew up and a white cloud appeared. As the driver drove through the cloud, he observed the vehicle travel to the right (beyond the shoulder); two males exit the vehicle and walk towards the tree line. Troopers were dispatched to the scene and arrived within a matter of minutes. Upon arrival, troopers noticed two males walking towards a smoking Toyota Camry parked on the grass shoulder. One trooper isolated the two males and asked that St. George Fire Department be notified. Shortly after arriving on the scene, St. George Fire Department called a shelter-in-place for businesses in the shopping center located on LA Hwy 427 (where Galatoire's Bistro is located). The two occupants of the Toyota Camry were decontaminated by St. George and transported by Baton Rouge EMS to Baton Rouge General (Mid-City). Meanwhile, troopers, East Baton Rouge Parish deputies and Motorist Assistance Patrol (MAP) personnel closed I-10 (both directions) between LA Hwy 3246 and LA Hwy 42. The roadway remained closed as Haz-Mat troopers cleaned the scene. At the same time, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Baton Rouge Haz-Mat personnel continuously conducted air monitoring for the duration of the incident. Haz-Mat troopers determined that there were two 5 gallon tanks containing Anhydrous Ammonia being transported in the Toyota Camry. The anhydrous ammonia broke the seal of the container and was released into the interior of the vehicle. As the occupants exited the car, the fumes and smoke were released into the air (appearing as though an explosion occurred). The anhydrous ammonia was the cause of the reporting driver’s runny eyes, chemical burns to the occupants in the Toyota and a trooper’s injuries related to inhalation of fumes. The westbound lanes of I-10 were reopened at 5:33 PM, the shelter-in-place was lifted at 6:14 PM and the eastbound lanes were reopened at 6:39 PM. Trooper Michael Daniel, sustained minor injuries caused by inhalation of the anhydrous ammonia fumes. Trooper Daniel was transported by Baton Rouge EMS to Baton Rouge General (Bluebonnet). The driver of the Toyota Camry, David L. Harkey (Male/Age 20) of Saucier, MS and his passenger Jonathan M. Bato (Male/Age 27) of Saucier, MS, were are charged with Reckless Handling of a Hazardous Material. Additional charges may be applied pending the conclusion of the investigation. For more information contact: S/T Johnnie L. Brown, Jr. Public Affairs Unit Louisiana State Police – Troop A Office: (225) 754-8524 johnnie.brown@dps.la.gov www.lsp.org | |||
| No attachments for this article. | |||