Hagerstown man hurt after fertilizer truck crashes on I-70

Wayne Larry Bartles, of Mason Dixon Road, was flown by medevac helicopter to Meritus Medical Center

August 05, 2011

By Kevin G. Gilbert, Staff Photographer

HANCOCK — A blown tire triggered the crash of a tanker truck carrying liquid fertilizer Friday afternoon, injuring the Washington County driver and closing westbound Interstate 70 near Hancock for several hours, Maryland State Police said.

Wayne Larry Bartles, of Mason Dixon Road north of Hagerstown, was flown by medevac helicopter to Meritus Medical Center to be treated for his injuries, according to a state police news release.

Bartles was listed in good condition Friday night, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Police said the accident happened at about 1:30 p.m. when a tire blew on the 1977 Ford truck that Bartles was driving for Paramount Feed and Supply Inc. in Hagerstown. The blown tire caused Bartles to lose control of the truck, which flipped on its side in the center median.

The westbound lanes of Interstate 70 were closed for about three hours while emergency personnel responded to the accident, police said.

Despite the roadway being cleared in the late afternoon, traffic remained backed up and was expected to take several hours to return to normal, according to state police.

Troopers were urging motorists who were traveling west to take alternate routes. Traffic was diverted temporarily onto Md. 615.

A Washington County Emergency Services dispatcher said emergency personnel had to remove liquid fertilizer and diesel fuel that spilled on the roadway.

As of 2:26 p.m., a single lane of traffic was passing by the scene on the right shoulder, but traffic was already backed up for several miles, police said.

The Maryland Department of the Environment assisted at the scene.

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