STANTON, DELAWARE (10/1/2015) One driver was cited by troopers after a four-vehicle crash and fuel spill that snarled Interstate 95 for hours Wednesday morning, Delaware State Police said. Two people were taken to a hospital with injuries.
The accident was reported in the southbound lanes north of the Churchmans Road off-ramp at 8:09 a.m.
Police said Gerald Nichols, 24, of Wilmington, was driving a 2012 Ford Transit in the right lane and began to move into the right center lane but struck the side of a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country van.
The Chrysler, driven by Shawn R. Johns, 51, of Wilmington, was pushed into the center lane were it struck fuel valves on a 2004 Peterbilt tractor and tank trailer, then re-entered the right center lane and struck a 2005 Toyota Sequoia SUV.
The tanker truck, leaking racing fuel, pulled to the shoulder after traveling about a quarter mile. Another tanker was called in and the remaining fuel was transferred from the damaged truck, police said.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control also arrived to deal with cleanup of the spilled fuel.
Nichols and Johns were both taken by ambulance to Christiana Hospital with injuries police said were not life-threatening. Both were wearing seat belts, police said.
Troopers issued Nichols a traffic citation for making an unsafe lane change.
The driver of the tractor trailer, Turon McManus, 30, of Wilmington, and the driver of the SUV, Loretta Consiglio-Ward, 50, of Wilmington, were not injured, police said.
The crash and at least one other accident in the area caused major backups in both directions on the highway, with DelDOT reporting the southbound lanes cleared about 12:30 p.m.
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