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Truck Carrying Asbestos Overturns on New York Highway
A container truck carrying garbage bags filled with asbestos overturned on a New York highway leading to major delays and possible charges against the driver.
The 18-wheeler flipped over around 2 p.m. on the Long Island Expressway. Witnesses said the driver was trying to take the the northbound Clearview Expressway exit but took the turn too tight and flipped the vehicle. The driver emerged from the cab and fled the scene on foot.
The top of the truck was only covered by a tarp which caused a number of bags filled with the material to spill onto the road. Haz-mat units in addition to workers from the state Department of Environmental Protection were called in to clean up the loose asbestos.
The driver was arrested after returning to the scene approximately eight hours later. It has not been announced whether any charges will be filed but one worker speculated that he may have been involved in illegal dumping.