The driver was able to climb out of the tractor and has been transported to a local hospital with what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries. The tanker is filled with 8000 gallons of embalming fluid and is believed to be leaking
The 4200 block of Jae Valley Road is currently closed going in both directions and will likely be for at least several hours.
Crews from the Vinton, Mount Pleasant, and Cave Spring stations, along with a Virginia Department of Emergency Management-Hazardous Materials officer and the Roanoke Valley Hazardous Materials Response Team are on scene working to mitigate any leakage and/or run off from the tanker.
The Police Department has knocked on the doors of nearly 20 homes asking them to evacuate the area (from the crash site in the 4200 block of Jae Valley Road down to Sun Valley Road. The homeowners who have evacuated have been advised by officers that they may come to the Mount Pleasant Elementary School at 3216 Mount Pleasant Boulevard as a staging/evacuation site if needed. A Police officer will be at the school to provide shelter for the evacuees if needed. At this time, no evacuees have needed the site. Additionally, RoCo Alert Message was sent out to residents in the evacuation area advising them of the incident.
The Roanoke Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is on stand-by status should they be needed.
More information will be sent out as it is available.