Emergency crews cleaned up thousands of gallons of asphalt seal coat Monday night after a commercial truck tipped into a ditch in Evergreen.  

Calls reporting the wreck at the intersection of Helena Flats Road and Springwood Lane came in about 5:40 p.m., July 20.  The truck, towing a trailer, spilled an estimated 4,000 gallons of asphalt seal coat after tipping into a ditch, according to Flathead County Emergency Management Planner Juanita Nelson.  

By 11:30 p.m., crews had cleaned up roughly 3,000 gallons of liquid seal coat from the ditch before hoisting the truck out with upholsters. Two dump trucks poured gravel onto the remaining seal coat to dry it up in preparation for it to be cleaned out at a later date, Nelson said. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality was notified of the incident.  

Evergreen Fire Rescue, Flathead County Emergency Management, Montana Highway Patrol and the Flathead County Roads and Bridges Department were among the agencies that responded.  

Highway patrol is investigating the wreck. Nelson could not provide information on the condition of the driver.  

Underground utilities that run beneath the ditch were unaffected by the spill, Nelson said. However, a pedestal on the south corner of the intersection — an above-ground enclosure that houses connections to utility, telecommunication or access-control equipment — received significant damage, leading to internet and telephone outages, Nelson said.  

The Helena Flats Road and Springwood Lane intersection was open as of early Tuesday morning with no traffic restrictions. 

Report for America Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 406-758-4439 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.