Thane Grauel and James O'Rourke

Rt. 59 was likely to be closed through the evening rush Thursday after a truck overturned%2C spilling 1%2C000 gallons of diesel fuel into the roadway

The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries and was treated at Nyack Hospital

NANUET – Thousands of gallons of diesel fuel was spilled across Route 59 on Thursday after a truck overturned near College Avenue.

The road, a major artery in Rockland County, was closed between Middletown Road and Smith Street through the evening rush as hazmat workers and firefighters worked to contain and then clean the 1,000-gallon spill. Some of the fuel did leak into nearby storm drains, officials said.

Clarkstown Police Sgt. Glenn Cummings said the truck, coming from Staten Island and carrying 3,300 gallons of number 2 diesel fuel, was driven by a 44-year-old man who suffered minor injuries in the crash. He was taken to Nyack Hospital for treatment.

John Kryger, a deputy fire coordinator for the county, said the crash occurred when the truck was cut off by another driver. The drains into which the fuel had leaked ultimately led to Lake Nanuet, he said.

"It's already down to Nanuet High School," he said about 3:30 p.m.

Dozens of firefighter from around the county assembled at the scene. They made dikes in the roadway to direct the fuel, spread absorbent materials, and sprayed aqueous film forming foam, or AFFF, which covers flammable materials to decrease the likelihood of ignition.

"It's flammable," Hazmat Fire Police Officer Harold Straut said, "but is way less flammable than gas."

Three men in silver hazmat fire-resistant entry suits could be seen atop the tipped truck, preparing to offload the remaining diesel. Three teams of firefighters manned hose lines in case anything went wrong.

The smell of diesel was heavy in the air as workers and other bystanders watched the cleanup effort.

Though the leak posed some threat in the immediate spill zone, the fuel traveling beyond the area was diluted and in no danger of exploding, Kryger said. Officials urged anyone smelling fumes to simply close their windows in order to limit exposure.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation also was at the scene along with Castlton Environmental Contractors, a private company called in to help with the cleanup.

The spill added to an already chaotic day on Route 59, which also was closed near the Palisades Center mall Thursday because of flooding. The road was reopened in both sections by 10:30 p.m.

Twitter: @thaneg