TAGHKANIC – A milk tractor-trailer tanker carrying thousands of gallons of milk overturned late Saturday afternoon on Columbia County Route 10 just south of Strohmeier Lane in the Town of Taghkanic, spilling milk. It contained several thousand gallons. Authorities could not determine exactly how much spilled.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office reported that the driver, Brian Gelinas, 49, of Red Hook, was southbound when he was unable to make it up the hill because of slippery conditions. The truck slipped backwards, jackknife, and overturned blocking the road.
Gelinas was not injured and immediately called 911 to report what had happened.
At the same time, a 48-year-old Cambridge, Massachusetts woman was northbound in a pickup truck and was unable to stop, striking the milk truck head-on. Renea Fontanez and four of the five people in her vehicle complained of pain and were treated at the scene.
Deputies from the sheriff’s office are investigating.
Greenport Rescue Squad, Taghkanic Fire Department, and Josh Ufberg from the state DEC assisted at the scene.
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