10,000 gallons of propane removed from truck
At approximately 3:35 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, Cashiers-Glenville Fire and Rescue responded to an accident on U.S. 64 between Highlands and Cashiers, where a Hilco Transportation Inc. propane truck struck a guardrail and toppled over the ledge. The driver suffered only minor injuries.
Cashiers-Glenville Fire and Rescue Chief Randy Dillard said the driver was attempting a delivery to Freeman Gas in Cashiers. Authorities have not released a cause, and weather or ice were not factors.
Rescuers used a 100-foot rope to pull the driver back up the embankment.
“He basically walked out on his own, and they took him out in the ambulance,” said Dillard. “We took him back to the fire department and took him to breakfast.”
Dillard said the safety features of the propane truck’s tank limited risks of explosion or leaks. “Those tanks are safe,” said Dillard. “They’re probably one of the safest things in the world.”
The accident prompted a closure on the stretch of road from noon on Wednesday until 8:20 a.m. Friday. NCDOT said the eastbound closure was beyond the hospital, while the westbound closure was located near Norton Road.
During this time, Cashiers-Glenville Fire and Rescue, Jackson County Emergency Management, Hilco crews and James Paint and Body Shop worked to remove 10,000 gallons of propane from the downed tanker. They also repaired the guardrail before Winter Storm Gianna arrived over the weekend.
The process of removing the propane required a special pump from Kentucky and involved safely burning off vaporized propane, producing a large, controlled flame. At the same time, the liquid propane was transferred to another truck using the tank’s high pressure.
Dillard said crews will wait until after the winter storm to remove the remaining wreckage, using rotating wreckers to complete this task. No timeline has been set.
“The rotating wrecker is like a crane,” said Dillard. “There’ll be four wreckers total and they’ll probably pull what’s left of the truck up first. Then they’ll pull the trailer up.”
Hilco Transportation Inc. declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation of the incident.
- Mitch Stone
reporter@highlandsnews.com