BOTKINS – A driver spilled weed killer for more than 2 miles between state Route 274 and Meyers Tavern on Tuesday, prompting a cleanup effort through Botkins.
According to Botkins Police Chief Tom Glass, a truck was pulling a trailer with a plastic tank that leaked liquid weed killer. The Botkins Police Department, Botkins Volunteer Fire Department and Anna Police Department all responded to aid with the cleanup down Main Street in the village.
“Apparently something broke on the trailer, a fitting or a hose, and it started dropping on the road,” Glass said.
Botkins firefighter Dan Suhga first alerted the police to the leak. Other individuals also called to inform officials about the leak, including one person who followed the truck, which Glass said was owned by an Auglaize County farmer.
With callers’ information, the Botkins Police Department was able to track down the driver of the truck and figure out what had leaked on the street, aiding in the cleanup. Officials put an absorbent on the roadway and used a street sweeper to clean it.
“It’s a corrosive, weed killers are corrosive, so it will eventually start working on the road,” Glass said of the need to get the material off the road.
Glass was planning to contact the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday afternoon to provide an update and also talk with the Shelby County Prosecutor’s Office about possible charges for the driver.
“We’ve got people wrapped up in this,” Glass said. “We’ve got money wrapped up in this and time and stuff. When it’s an unsecured load … he should have realized he had a leak way before now.”
