A 30,000-gallon truck filled with cooking oil overturned Thursday on Interstate Highway 55 near Romeoville, leaving an inch-thick coating of the slippery substance on the roadway and snarling traffic for more than 10 hours, police said.
Illinois State Police took about six hours to locate the truck’s driver, who fled the scene after his rig apparently swerved into the median before rolling over, authorities said. The oil spilled onto the southbound lanes of the highway about 4:10 a.m.
The driver, a 35-year-old Aurora man, was cited for leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident to the proper authorities, improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, authorities said.
He was taken to Provena Mercy Medical Center where he was tested for drugs and alcohol as required by state law, Illinois State Police Trooper Mark Odenthal said.
The oil that coated the highway stalled traffic for miles during the morning rush hour and left a challenging mess. Commuters had to use the heavily sanded shoulder.
“It all gelled up because of the cold,” said Odenthal, who was at the spill site. “It was like walking through slush, only it was oil.”
Crews had to make three passes with a road scraper and spread pea gravel and sand, Odenthal said. A hazardous materials contractor remained at the scene for hours removing dirt from the median so local water supplies would not be contaminated.
Tow truck drivers in charge of righting the tanker also had a rough go, Odenthal said.
“It sticks to everything,” he said. “The tow drivers were covered from head to toe … the seats, the steering wheels were covered with oil.”
All lanes were reopened by 3:15 p.m., police said.
