Tanker truck crashes off road, down hillside near Rankin Bridge

Tony LaRussa | Tuesday, May 3, 2022 11:49 a.m.

Courtesy WPXI-TV

A tanker truck crashed over a hillside along Route 837 and came to rest under the Rankin Bridge on Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

A section of River Road near the Rankin Bridge was temporarily closed this morning while emergency crews worked to remove a tanker truck that went over a hillside.

The crash was reported at about 9:50 a.m. along Route 837, or River Road, in Whitaker, according to an Allegheny County 911 supervisor. The road runs underneath the bridge spanning the Monongahela River.

The tanker went off the road and down a hillside before stopping on its side near the railroad tracks that run parallel to the road.

No injuries were reported.

Authorities said the crash only affected motor vehicle traffic along River Road for a short time, but train traffic will be interrupted until the tanker is removed.

A hazardous materials response team was initially dispatched to the scene but then called off after first responders determined that there was no fluid leaking from the vehicle, the supervisor said.

Authorities did not know how long it would take to clear the scene and reopen the roadway to vehicle traffic.