Truck hauling explosives crashes, closes NE Ga roadway

It took several hours for the Dawson County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia State Patrol to reopen a stretch of Georgia Highway 53 near Dawsonville: the road was closed for much of the day Tuesday after a multi-vehicle accident in which a truck hauling thousands of pounds of mining explosives overturned. There were a handful of what were described as minor injuries. 

From Chelsea Prince, AJC…

A busy Dawson County highway reopened Tuesday afternoon, nearly nine hours after a truck carrying mining explosives overturned just before the start of the morning commute.

A Buick sedan sideswiped the truck, which lost control on Ga. 53 west of Lake Lanier, according to the Georgia State Patrol. The Buick then sideswiped a Nissan Versa following behind the truck before colliding with a Dodge Charger.

State and local agencies shut down the highway between Dawson Forest and War Hill Park roads about 5:20 a.m. to investigate the wreck and clean up the spilled hazardous material.

It reopened just before 2 p.m., according to Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services.

The 6,000-pound truck was carrying a petroleum-based ammonium nitrate manufactured by Austin Powder Company. Initially reported to be dynamite, it was later identified as Hydromite Advance 120, Dawson County Sheriff Jeff Johnson told AJC.com.

The substance is commonly used in mining, quarry work and construction blasting. It was headed to a location in Pickens County, Dawson County fire Chief Danny Thompson said during a news conference.