Officials have identified the driver killed after a truck carrying methane rolled over in Orange, Massachusetts, Friday night.
Lois Ann Johnson, 62, of Woodstock, New Hampshire, was killed in the crash Friday, Massachusetts State Police confirmed Sunday.
She was driving a 53-foot truck carrying multiple cylinders of pressurized natural gas, which contains methane. The truck is owned by NG Advantage and the cryogenic transport company is KAG Trucking Merchant Gas, state police said.
The truck rolled over when it failed to hold the curved exit ramp at exit 14 on Route 2. It then went through a guardrail, over a grass embankment and rolled over, coming to rest near the woods, according to an investigation conducted by state police.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but state police say they don't believe impairment was the cause.
The ramp where the crash happened is still closed and will be closed for the rest of the day Sunday, state police said.
Route 2 was closed between exits 13 and 15 in both directions from the time of the crash Friday night until about 2 p.m. Saturday.
The methane gas the truck was carrying started leaking, causing an enormous response from officials to get the dangerous situation under control.
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The Orange Fire Department issued a tier 2 Hazmat response, evacuating many homes in the area and creating a half-mile radius safe zone, state police said. Residents forced to evacuate were taken to the Orange Armory Friday night. They were all evaluated by EMS.
Greg Zupan lives in the area. He says he wasn't evacuated, but he knew something was wrong almost immediately.
"I was kinda concerned," he said. "I was concerned that the stirens took a little bit. And I knew the fire and police would be responding to whatever happened."
Officials have since determined the scene to be safe.
No other injuries have been reported.
