Tanker carrying ethanol crashes off I-680 in Alameda County

Tanker carrying over 1,000 gallons of 99 percent ethanol crashes along I-680

A hazardous materials incident along southbound I-680 near Koopman Road in Sunol on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Video: Alameda County Fire Department.

SUNOL, Calif. - A tanker carrying several thousands of gallons of 99% ethanol crashed off the right shoulder of southbound I-680, just after Koopman Road in Sunol, prompting a hazardous materials response and mutual aid from multiple fire agencies.

Alameda County Fire is asking members of the public to avoid the area while crews at the scene transfer the ethanol from the crashed tanker to another.

Hazmat teams work to transfer ethanol from crashed tanker

Occurred along southbound I-680 near Koopman Road in Sunol on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Video: Alameda County Fire Department.

The tanker crashed shortly before 3 a.m., according to logs by the California Highway Patrol.

The driver of the tanker fell asleep, but was not injured.

225 gallons of diesel leaked out of the fuel tank for the vehicle. A small amount of ethanol may have also spilled, although it wasn't immediately clear how much that may have been.

A hazardous materials incident along southbound I-680 near Koopman Road in Sunol on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Photo: Alameda County Fire Department.

Alameda County Fire sent a tweet at 1:50 p.m. advising that they were working to transfer over 1,000 gallons of ethanol. In an updated tweet, they advised the volume appears to be around 2,000-2,500 gallons of ethanol.