Early Sunday morning in Panama, a serious incident occurred on the Inter-American Highway. A tanker truck loaded with thousands of gallons of fuel overturned on the road near the new exit in Penonomé. Apparently, the driver lost control of the steering wheel, and the articulated vehicle ended up on its side on the median dividing the four lanes of the highway. Fortunately, the driver escaped unharmed. The traffic accident caused most of the 9,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel the tanker was carrying to spill onto the road, which necessitated the presence of specialized fire department personnel to contain the spill and clean the roadway. To carry out the cleanup and removal of the truck, it was necessary to stop traffic in both directions of the highway to prevent other accidents in the area. Drivers were trapped in traffic jams that stretched for several kilometers, causing dissatisfaction, although the units of the Traffic Operations Directorate enabled an alternative route to the capital city via La Tabacalera Street. Once the roadway cleaning and truck removal were completed, the highway was reopened.
