April 4, 2002 * 02-25-01

(PORT GAMBLE, Kitsap County) -- A heavy-duty utility truck crashed along SR 104 near here this morning and, although the driver was uninjured, the vehicle was severely damaged and its fuel tank ruptured releasing gallons of diesel.

North Kitsap Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to the 27000 block of the state highway at 10:04am. Arriving at the scene, firefighters found the truck on its side and slippery mud covering both of the road's two lanes. The driver was already out of the truck, telling medics that he wasn't hurt. He credited the fact that he'd been wearing a lap and shoulder belt with his safety. Apparently, the vehicle had slid on its side through a drainage ditch after leaving the 50-mph highway -- pushing the ditch's contents onto the road. Firefighters worked quickly, building a dirt dam to isolate the truck's leaking fuel.