ROY -- A truck driver who authorities say may have been impaired when he crashed a tanker full of diesel fuel Wednesday on Interstate 15 denies using any kind of drugs during his shift.
Shane Oliver, 55, said in front of his South Weber home on Thursday that he is grateful nobody was hurt during the crash, but he's now afraid of losing his job.
"It's just a nightmare, I'll tell you that," Oliver said.
The Utah Highway Patrol interviewed Oliver at his home earlier Thursday afternoon about the crash. He told the UHP that he fell asleep at the wheel immediately before the fiery crash.
UHP officials said they found drug paraphernalia in the truck after the wreck and that they may pursue DUI charges against Oliver.
Authorities drew blood from Oliver to verify whether he was on drugs, but toxicology results could take weeks. Oliver said he was ending a nearly 12-hour shift that included trips to Brigham City and Logan, then a return to Golden Eagle Oil Refinery in Woods Cross to refill for a delivery in Ogden. He dozed off before reaching his final destination.
"I just fell asleep. It wasn't nothing else," Oliver said.
Oliver said the truck is driven by a number of employees and he doesn't know anything about the drug paraphernalia that UHP said was found in the truck.
The crash shut down parts of Interstate 15 between 5600 South in Roy and the 650 North exit in Clearfield for up to 13 hours Wednesday, causing heavy backups on side roads that proved frustrating for commuters.
Officials estimated the tanker was transporting around 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Oliver said he fell asleep around 4:15 a.m., then his truck struck a concrete center barrier.
"I just remember hearing and feeling a big boom," Oliver said. "I remember sliding forever. I think I opened a window and climbed out. There were flames, and I just wanted to get out of there."
An insurance adjustor for the refinery was at the crash scene for a good part of Wednesday, and officials with the Utah Department of Transportation are working with the insurance company to determine the cost of the cleanup.
UDOT does not yet have an official estimate of how much the operation cost, but will seek to have Golden Eagle and its insurance company pay the bill, not taxpayers.
"We will have to be reimbursed for the asphalt and cleanup, getting the road up to driving conditions," said Vic Saunders, UDOT regional spokesman.
A receptionist with Golden Eagle Oil Refinery said Thursday morning the company would release a statement on the crash, but it had not done so as of 5 p.m.
UHP Sgt. Jimmy Higgs said investigators were told by refinery officials the company does random drug testing on all its truck drivers.
A hazardous materials team from Enviro Care in North Salt Lake was back at the crash scene Thursday trying to determine if diesel fuel seeped into the soil in the center median and off the right shoulder. Officials are concerned about the fuel getting into the ground water.
"We'll excavate all the impacted soil and replace it," said John Hart, chief operating officer of Enviro Care. "We're taking soil samples to look for traces of diesel fuel."
Hart said the company will continue taking samples and excavate until the soil meets state guidelines.
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