Sulfuric Acid Spilled In Tanker Crash, Driver Killed

The driver of a tanker truck carrying 3,000 gallons of sulfuric acid lost control of his vehicle on Steels Corner Road in the early morning hours on December 26th and crashed into a gully on park property by the intersection of Akron-Peninsula and Steels Corner Roads. The operator, Shawn Flynn, 44, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, was killed in the accident. Approximately 50 gallons of sulfuric acid spilled onto the ground; the remaining acid was siphoned into another tanker. At the time of the crash, the truck was making a delivery to the city composting facility on Riverview Road (the city uses sulfuric acid to balance the pH factor at the facility). Ohio EPA was notified and brought chemicals to neutralize the acid.  A private contractor removed the contaminated soil.  The crash occurred in a fairly remote area and as a precautionary measure the NPS temporarily closed a section of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath trail. The NPS and Akron Police Department are working together on the investigation. Akron PD is leading on both the collision and death investigations; the NPS is assessing the clean-up and final restoration efforts. This is the same location as a tanker truck rollover two months ago.