Fuel leak stalls traffic on Highway 104

Published 1:22 pm Friday, December 27, 2013

KINGSTON — A fuel spill slowed traffic for approximately three hours Dec. 26 near the intersection of Highway 104 and Miller Bay Road.

With the quick acting efforts of a Kitsap Transit worker, the spill of nearly 5 gallons of diesel fuel was easily contained.

North Kitsap Fire & Rescue responded to a call shortly before 1 p.m. on Dec. 26, just west of the intersection of Highway 104 and Miller Bay Road after a semitruck’s fuel tank sprung a leak.

“(The) fuel tank apparently struck something to cause a slow leak,” said Michele Laboda with North Kitsap Fire & Rescue.

Washington State Patrol also dispatched a spill response team, however, Laboda noted that credit is due to a Kitsap transit employee who happened to be driving by at the time of the spill.

“He stopped and used spill response materials on board his vehicle to contain the liquid until firefighters’ arrival minutes later,” Laboda said.

Responders pumped nearly 70 gallons of diesel fuel out of the truck’s leaking tank.

Both lanes of Highway 104 were open to traffic during the clean up, but movement was slowed.