A truck transporting mushrooms crashed and overturned early Thursday on the Capital Beltway, where it dangled off an overpass.
At 1 a.m., Montgomery County Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a crashed tractor-trailer along the Interstate 495 outer loop near the Interstate 270 spur, where personnel found the truck over the side of an overpass bridge, according to posts on the social media platform X.
The driver — the truck’s only passenger — was briefly trapped, but crews rescued him shortly after arrival. He was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to department spokesperson David Pazos.
“After the truck was secured from further fall, after a plan was developed for approach and additional manpower in place in case something went wrong with crews taking action, crews removed the driver,” Pazos wrote in a message to The Baltimore Sun.
Maryland State Police said the driver reported no injuries, and alcohol is not suspected as a cause at this time.
Fuel saddle tanks were leaking, and hazmat personnel were dispatched to pump the fuel off the truck, according to Pazos. The Maryland Department of the Environment took possession of the fuel.
The truck had been transporting refrigerated mushrooms, according to X updates from MCFRS Public Information Officer Pete Piringer.
Despite slowdowns from blocked lanes Thursday morning, all lanes are now open. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Have a news tip? Contact Brendan Nordstrom at bnordstrom@baltsun.com or on X at @bnords03.