UPDATE: 5/22: The driver has been identified as Richard Bowman, 62, of Torrey, Utah, the Utah Department of Public Safety confirmed.
UPDATE 5/21: On Tuesday, the body of the truck driver was recovered and U.S. 189 was reopened after 6 p.m. on Tuesday — nearly 24 hours after the roads first closed.
The body of the driver was found in the cab after the truck was brought back to the surface.
Officials said the driver was from Utah and his family has been notified, but they are not releasing further information at this time.
After the initial crash on Monday night, the road was closed to traffic in both directions and the driver of the truck that crashed was said to be unaccounted for.
“We just need to do what we need to do safely, and it’s an inconvenience and we recognize that,” Captain Scott Robertson of the Utah Highway Patrol said of the road closures.
Officials said the semi-truck was carrying just under 12,000 gallons of propane. On Monday night, the truck lost control and jackknifed before hitting the guard rail and crashing into the reservoir.
“Initial response was obviously for the patient that we tried to get to,” Wasatch Fire District Chief Eric Hales told ABC4.com. “However, he was deeply submerged underneath the tanker, and we were unable to perform a rescue. Then our operation became a recovery effort and a hazardous material incident.”
Officials said most of the propane is believed to have evaporated into the atmosphere, but diesel fuel from the cab was potentially leaking into the water. After the cab was removed, officials found that the fuel tanks did not leak a significant amount of fuel.
Deer Creek Reservoir is used for drinking water, but officials said there are no hazardous effects expected after the crash at this time.
ORIGINAL STORY: Jackknifed semi-truck crashes into Deer Creek Reservoir
WASATCH COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A semi-truck traveling southbound on U.S.-189 lost control and crashed into Deer Creek Reservoir on Monday night, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
Lieutenant Cameron Roden with UHP told ABC4.com that the semi-truck lost control before it jackknifed and hit the guard rail. After hitting the guard rail, the semi-truck went into the reservoir.
The cab of the semi-truck was submerged and the trailer was protruding from the water.
The Utah Department of Public Safety said the tank ruptured in the crash releasing propane gas into the air. Due to the hazmat situation, Utah Highway Patrol closed SR-189 in both directions. That closure lasted overnight while the trailer continued to vent off the gas.
Hazmat crews eventually brought in equipment to remove the tanker from Deer Creek Reservoir once they deemed it was safe to do so.
The Department of Public safety said the male driver of the semi-truck was found dead inside the cab of the truck as it was brought back up onto the roadway.
The crash is currently under investigation to determine what may have caused the driver to .
There is no further information at this time.
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