Update: Mahan says to expect roads near Northway exit 4 to remain closed: Ammonia-like odor sends truck driver to hospital

Jul 30, 2008 (Albany Times Union - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- FDX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Jul. 30--COLONIE -- Town Supervisor Paula Mahan says it may take several more hours before authorities re-open a portion of Old Wolf Road that was closed this morning after a truck driver was overcome by powerful ammonia-like fumes in his FedEx truck.

"It's just better to be safe than sorry," Mahan said.

The driver of a FedEx truck laden with 22,000 pounds of chemicals has been taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital after smelling an odor from his vehicle -- a discovery that has shut down Old Wolf Road and drawn hazmat crews from around Albany County, authorities said.

Initial tests of the air around the truck lead authorities to believe there my not be a leak but they won't know for sure until a hazardous materials team gets inside the truck, said First Deputy Fire Cordinator Gerald Paris Jr.

Paris declined to identify the type of chemicals on the truck, but said they are contained in boxes and barrels.

"The biggest issue that we have is the unknown," he said.

The authorities have not confirmed whether any of the cargo spilled but several nearby businesses have been evacuated, including the Koto Japanese restaurant, as a precaution. Chief Victor Graves of the West Albany Fire Department said hazardous materials crews from West Albany, the city of Albany and the Watervliet Arsenal are preparing to assess the truck's trailer, hoping to get a better sense of what, if anything, has spilled.

"We'll know quite a bit more once we can get inside the truck," Graves said.

Daniel Farrell, chief of the Shaker Road-Loudonville Fire Department, said authorities know that several chemicals are in the vehicle, which is parked on the southbound shoulder of Old Wolf Road.

Authorities were summoned around 9:40 a.m. after the trucker detected the odor. His condition was not immediately available.

The Hotel Indigo, formerly the Wingate, remains open and crews are using the property as a staging area.

The Northway ramp is closed along with the intersections of Old Wolf Road and Route 155, and Old Wolf and Albany Shaker roads.

The incident started with a routine safety check by Colonie police. They doing a seat-belt check point when the driver realized he may have had a problem with his load.

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