Fort Belvoir News

Employees from Redman Fleet Services prepare to upright an overturned 10-wheeled delivery truck owned by Airgas East, Inc. near Tulley Gate.  (Photo by Donnie Biggs)

Delivery Truck overturns near Tulley Gate
Driver walks away uninjured

By Jennifer Brennan
Staff writer

A driver walked away with no injuries Wednesday morning, May 19, after his delivery truck fishtailed on Pohick Road and flipped on its side, about 200 feet from the vehicle search tent at Fort Belvoir’s Tulley Gate.

The accident occurred at 10:40 a.m. when the truck lost traction on the wet road and the rear tires got caught on the side of the road, causing the trick to spin out and flip over, according to Capt. John Cerra, Fort Belvoir Military Police operations officer.

Within minutes, Fort Belvoir Military Police shut down the entrance and exit to Tulley. The gate re-opened by 1 p.m., Cerra said.

Sean Coleman, 34, was driving a 10-wheeled Airgas East, Inc. truck on the installation, carrying about 30 cannisters of chemicals including oxygen, propane and acetylene. Airgas East, a company based out of Maryland, is a supplier of industrial gases. Although some of the straps holding the canisters broke, none of the canisters exploded or leaked, according to Bryan Harper, Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services Division technician.

Coleman hit the breaks to slow down for the security checkpoints, according to Cerra.

Coleman’s truck fishtailed in a 40 mph zone.

Coleman was driving “at or well below the speed limit,” said Sgt. Sean Wickerham, Military Police patrol supervisor.

“He wasn’t doing anything wrong,” Cerra said, noting Coleman was wearing a seatbelt.

Shattered glass lie under the truck but according to police there was no other significant damage.

Coleman climbed out of the driver’s window and said he was shaken up after the accident but would not further comment.

Two Fort Belvoir engine companies, four military policemen, a MEDDAC ambulance and Fairfax County fire and rescue services were dispatched to the scene.

Harper considers Coleman to be fortunate.

“I mean the driver walked away. That’s kinda’ lucky, Harper said as he watched a wrecker from Redman Fleet Service from Springfield load the delivery truck to tow it away.