Overturned Tanker Update

On Wednesday, Dec. 7 a traffic accident at Rt. 140 and Bethel Road resulted in two men being sent to the Maryland Shock Trauma center and 8,000 gallons of fuel leaking from an overturned tanker.

Carl Frock, Jr. 79, was driving a Buick passenger vehicle when he attempted to turn left off Rt. 140 on Bethel Road in Finksburg. He was broadsided by a fuel tanker, driven by Richard Donald Ecker of Taneytown, driving east on Rt. 140. Ecker attempted to steer right to avoid the Buick. He hit the Buick and then the tanker he was driving overturned and came to rest in the Royal Farms parking lot.

According to Maryland State Police Lieutenant Jim DeWees the driver of the overturned tanker was released from Maryland Shock Trauma within a day of the accident. As of Friday afternoon, Frock was still at Maryland Shock Trauma in critical but stable condition. DeWees said that Frock was at fault as the fuel tanker had the right of way.

The Maryland Department of the Environment was scheduled to complete the fuel clean up Friday. DeWees said that the system the Royal Farms has is designed with catch basins in case of a fuel leak. Very little of the 8,000 gallons of spilled fuel actually got beyond the catch basin, DeWees said.

A Patch reader commented on the article Wednesday afternoon suggesting that the light at the intersection of Rt. 140 and Bethel Road is dangerous. She suggested that the traffic light should allow cars to turn left across Rt. 140 only with a green arrow as opposed to the current "yield" signal.

As a result of the comment, DeWees said he would ask the State Highway Administration to examine the intersection to determine if the lights warrant a change.

DeWees said that late last week, troopers monitored the intersection and the State Highway Administration will continue to study the intersection in the coming months to determine if a traffic light change is justified.