A diesel tanker truck rolled this morning, spilling 4,000 gallons of fuel into Clear Creek and prompting authorities to close the highway for several hours during a clean up.

Both lanes had reopened by late this afternoon.

Several hazardous materials crews were called to the scene of the 9 a.m. accident on U.S. Highway 6 near the Loveland Basin ski resort, said Sgt. Mike Baker of the Colorado State Patrol.

Federal Environmental Protection Agency officials were called to the spill site to assess the damage to the creek, which was tinted red because the diesel fuel for farm machinery was dyed red.

The driver of the tanker received minor injuries and was not taken to a hospital, Baker said.

He was driving the tanker carrying 7,200 gallons of diesel fuel when he drove too fast into a hairpin curve and the truck toppled over onto the passenger side of the truck, he said.

When the truck, owned by Gilco Transportation Inc. of Rifle, rolled, the man-hole-sized covers on top of the tankers immediately spilled about 4,000 gallons of fuel, said Trooper Greg Manning. The fuel flowed directly into the creek.

“This was an immediate compromise of a large percentage of the tank,” Manning said. He said he has received reports that it appeared some fish were killed.

Colorado wildlife officials have also been contacted, he said.

“Everybody who has a stake in downstream of Clear Creek has been notified,” Manning said.

The Clear Creek and Colorado State Patrol hazardous material crews are on scene and the Jefferson County team is on the way, he said.

“There are any number of dangerous possibilities,” Baker said.

No other vehicles were involved in the accident, Baker said.

Bystanders and emergency responders were able to reduce the flow of fuel into the creek to about three gallons a minute, Baker said.

“That still sounds like a lot to me,” Baker said.

Traffic was is being diverted onto Interstate-70, he said.

Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com