BEACON FALLS — Blackberry Hill Road was closed for more than four hours Monday afternoon, after a dump truck carrying a load of hot asphalt crashed into a tree off the side of the road.
Fire and rescue crews from Beacon Hose Company No. 1 responded to the scene just before 11 a.m. First responders found the driver was conscious and alert but was trapped inside the cab of the truck, which is owned by V and F Paving out of Hamden.
First responders extricated the driver, who was identified as 55-year-old Eric Gomez of New Haven. Gomez was transported to Waterbury Hospital for what state police described as minor to serious injuries.
State police said Gomez was driving too fast on Blackberry Hill Road and couldn’t negotiate the curb in front of 10 Blackberry Hill Road.
Blackberry Hill Road was closed for most of the afternoon, to remove the vehicle and address environmental hazards as a result of asphalt and fuel spilling from the crash. The road reopened to one-lane traffic around 5 p.m.
First Selectman Christopher Bielik thanked all the first responders for their quick actions.
“That could have been a serious hazard, and they caught it really, really quickly,” said First Selectman Christopher Bielik about the environmental hazards.
State police are investigating the accident.
