On April 23, 2021, we received an emergency dispatch from Washington State Police (WSP) involving a bobtail tractor collision. With little other information provided, we responded with a C-class heavy-duty wrecker.
Accident Cleanup
We arrived at the scene and evaluated the scene to find that the tractor was rammed into a concrete barrier. We found that engine oil pan was damaged and spilled 10 to 15 gallons of engine oil on the surface. Unfortunately, the casualty was precariously resting against the damaged guard rail with a fuel tank penetration. So that was a potentially big problem that required special care.
Team Pro-Tow quickly put together a recovery plan, including calculating the distance and weight for the best recovery. We decided an HD Crane-style rotating wrecker would be the best option for our team’s safety and handling the accident cleanup without causing any more property damage. We brought in the extra needed equipment and got to work. Using the specialty rigging, we safely performed an overhead crane lift without further fuel or oil spills. Once the truck was out of the way, Team Pro-Enviro could get to work with the accident cleanup.
Spill Cleanup
The next step was handling the spill and debris cleanup and reporting to the command post. Meanwhile, WSP informed the Washington State Department of Ecology about the cleanup required. After, we did a minimal debris cleanup, evaluated the property damage, and dispatched additional equipment for the rest of the work. Finally, we returned the casualty to our secured storage and did a post-accident commercial vehicle inspection. All equipment was inspected and returned to its original condition and location, and the call was cleared.
For more information on Pro-Enviro’s spill response services and to see photos of us in action, check out the other stories on our recovery blog.
