By EMS1 Staff
LEEDS, Ontario — Several first responders were hospitalized after hazardous materials spilled during a multiple-vehicle crash Tuesday.
Two separate collisions caused several other crashes; at least 29 patients were treated at the hospital. Five tractor-trailers and a car were involved in the first crash, and seven tractor-trailers and three other vehicles were involved in the second, reported the KingstonRegion.com.
Officials said one of the trucks leaked a fluorosilicic acid, which can cause irritation to the nose, throat, respiratory system and swelling of the skin. If exposed to heat, the acid turns into hydrofluoric acid, a highly toxic and corrosive substance.
The truck leaked between 1,850 and 2,650 gallons, and a hazmat team was dispatched to the scene. The fire department set up a decontaminated area to treat those exposed to the substance.
A total of seven firefighters, three paramedics, three police officers and 17 civilians were treated for exposure.
The driver of the truck was transported to the hospital, where he died of his injuries.
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