City Worker Crashes Into Semi Full of Hydrochloric Acid
June 03--A pickup truck driven by a Santa Fe city worker crashed into the back of a semi truck carrying hydrochloric acid in Santa Fe late Monday night, but none of the acid spilled, Santa Fe police said.
The pickup truck driver, who was believed to be intoxicated, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and arrested on multiple charges, police said. Police identified him as Albert Roybal, 38. Roybal was charged with DWI, reckless driving, open container, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to render aid, police said.The semi truck driver was unhurt.
Roybal is a plant operator in the city's waste water management department, said city spokeswoman Jodi McGinnis-Porter, and has been with the city since 1996. The city will launch an investigation into the incident, she said.
The crash occurred just before midnight on southbound Interstate 25 at the on-ramp for Cerrillos Road. The pickup truck driver walked away from the accident and was found about three miles away, said police spokeswoman Celina Westervelt.
"The pickup is obliterated," she said, "so how he walked away, we don't know." A truck is on the way from Denver to transfer the barrels of acid from the wrecked semi and transport them to their destination, said Westervelt.
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