Dump truck crashes and spills load of garbage along Island Highway in Nanaimo

The Nanaimo Parkway is totally closed southbound after a dump truck crashed and tipped over, spilling a load of garbage.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue, Nanaimo RCMP and B.C. Ambulance Service are on scene at the East Wellington Road overpass.

The truck driver has been transported to hospital.

Both southbound lanes on the parkway are closed due to the incident and northbound traffic is moving slowly past the scene. There are also environmental concerns coming about because of the accident, said Capt. Chad Porter, of Nanaimo Fire Rescue.

“As part of this incident, there has been a diesel fuel release,” Porter told the News Bulletin. “One of the saddle tanks was removed from the vehicle. There’s a second saddle tank still attached to the vehicle. There are concerns for the creek below the vehicle. Booms and damming have been put in place and Environment Canada has been notified.”

Significant clean up is needed, said Porter, and it is not yet known when the highway will be re-opened.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue, RCMP, BC AMBULANCE on scene crashed dump truck Nanaimo Parkway at E. Wellington overpass. Driver to hospital unknown https://t.co/k9P3lQk8c6 Parkway lanes closed. Northbound slow.#Nanaimo #traffic #collision @NanaimoBulletin pic.twitter.com/7H97NfoZPy

— Chris Bush (@ChrisBushphotog) March 3, 2023