Driver identified in Sylvester Road tanker accident

ALBANY — The driver of a gas tanker involved in a crash on Sunday that closed down a portion of Sylvester Road has been released from Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and is expected to face a failure to maintain lane charge.

Capt. Tom Jackson with the Dougherty County Police Department identified the driver as Michael Gadson, 46, and said he would be charged with failure to maintain lane following an accident that took place near the Dougherty-Worth County line on Sunday morning.

The fuel tanker overturned on Sylvester Road, near North County Line Road in eastern Dougherty County, and had traffic backed up for hours Sunday morning as officials with DCPD and the Albany Fire Department worked to contain the mess. Initial reports show that police were notified just after 6:30 a.m. that a Fuel South tanker truck had overturned, ultimately spilling approximately 1,500 gallons of the tanker’s 8,500-gallon fuel capacity after the driver reportedly over-corrected after running off the road.

AFD Hazmat crews remained on the scene into Sunday afternoon cleaning up the spill.

Jackson said Gadson was taken to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital for treatment. A hospital spokeswoman said Monday that he has since been released.

Herald staff writer Brad McEwen contributed to this story