Tanker Truck Spills 1,000 Gallons Of Fuel In Dorchester

A fuel truck that drove over the base of street light spilled about 1,000 gallons of fuel onto the street in Dorchester late Thursday.

A fire department spokesperson says a Sunoco tanker truck drove over the curb at about 11 p.m. Thursday night on Dorchester Ave. by Freeport Street, rupturing two of its fuel tanks.

"Somehow the rear wheels ran over a street light," said Steve MacDonald, a spokesperson for the city's fire department. "Part of the pole got up into the under carriage of the truck and it ruptured a couple of the valves."

It took crews about two hours to stop the leak and clean up continued into early Friday morning.

Firefighters say no injuries were reported. About 40 nearby residents were evacuated from their homes as a precaution and roads were closed around the accident until about 6 a.m. Friday.

The affected area included Boston Public School's bus lot. There were minor school bus delays as a result but all schools opened as scheduled.

With reporting from The Associated Press and WBUR's Newsroom