TYRONE—A semi-truck driver and his rig went off the road and crashed into Tobehanna Creek under the Tyrone bridge (adjacent to the intersection of Route 226 and County Route 23) on Tuesday evening, March 5. Matt Maloney, assistant chief of the Tyrone Fire Department, said, “The driver went off the road a little after 9 p.m. Tuesday evening. He was able to extricate himself from the water and he is in stable condition." He added the driver received only minor injuries. Authorities identified the driver as Michael A. Kee, 29, Humboldt, Tenn. Schuyler County Sheriff Bill Yessman explained the truck was traveling west on County Route 23, did not stop at the intersection, and crashed into the creek. He added semi-trucks are not allowed to travel on Route 23 for this very reason. Lori Severino, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation press officer, said the truck was carrying approximately 21.5 tons of salt. The DEC also estimates the vehicle had between 150 to 300 gallons of diesel of fuel in its tank. Wednesday, workers disconnected and removed the truck cab from the creek. Severino explained the contractor is expected to remove the trailer and remaining debris from the pond on Thursday. She said a harbor boom was put in place to contain the spilled fuel and absorbent pads were used to soak up the sheen on the surface. The DEC reports "there is no sheen downstream of the boom. These actions prevented any noticeable impacts downstream of the dam. There have been no reported fishkill or other significant impacts. After the trailer is removed, we may be able to remove some salt with an excavator." The salvage operation is expected to last three to four days total.
