March 18th, 2008

A truck carrying tons of deadly asbestos overturned in New York over the weekend. The driver of the truck ran away before officials could get to the accident, but later came back and was arrested.

A New York truck driver may have some explaining to do after he was arrested earlier this week. The driver was hauling tons of unsecured asbestos in a massive container truck, with only a tarp to contain the hazardous material. The driver took a turn too quick and tipped the truck, sending asbestos across a busy highway before running away on foot. The driver came back, only to be arrested for fleeing the scene of an accident. Truckers looking onto the mess said that asbestos is not normally hauled in such a way, risking potential exposure to the public.

The accident could have presented a major health concern, since asbestos can become airborne and be introduced into the body. Breathing in asbestos fibers has been linked to asbestosis, emphysema and mesothelioma, a type of deadly lung cancer. Though asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma tend to take repeated exposure to put a person in danger, large quantities of airborne asbestos can increase the chances of disease. The EPA cleaned up the spill, and investigators are looking into the possibility that the asbestos was being illegally dumped.