Nov. 23--Hundreds of motorists along the Pennsylvania Turnpike -- many of them holiday travelers who were looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with friends and relatives -- were delayed or stranded on Tuesday night by a 30-mile tar slick that left many of their vehicles undriveable.
"Our car is disabled, along with about 300 others," said Ken Miller, 40, of Dearborn Heights, Mich., who was traveling to New Paris, Bedford County, when he began driving through the tar slick shortly before 8 p.m. on the rain-covered, darkened roadway. "Our (sport utility vehicle) is wobbling like I'm driving on four flat tires."
State police, who said they had calls from hundreds of eastbound motorists, said it appears that a seal broke on a tanker truck hauling driveway sealant, spilling the sloppy goop from the New Castle exit until the driver was pulled over near the Oakmont service plaza.
"It was the most harrowing experience of my life," said Bob King, 64, a retired firefighter who now lives near Chicago. "It caught us off guard. It didn't seem like anyone knew what it was or what to do. It had to be an incredible amount of tar. It's still piled on my tires."
Turnpike spokesman Bill Capone said a tanker truck hauling more than 4,000 gallons of a driveway sealant got on the turnpike at the New Castle exit.
"Our maintenance personnel began literally trying to plow this stuff off the roadway. Now they are spreading sand, trying to absorb as much of the material as they can to get to the point that people can drive safely," Capone said.
Although traffic advisories were posted, the roadway remained open because police initially believed the problem was limited to the right lane. However, the sealant got on wheels and soon was in the passing lanes as well.
King, who was a firefighter in Rockville, Md., until his retirement about 20 years ago, was returning there with his wife, Anne, when his 2002 Dodge Durango hit the tar.
"I drove down the shoulder of the road, scared to death to stop because I didn't want anyone running into me. Cars were sliding everywhere. I'm glad I have four-wheel drive. It helped a lot," said King, adding that his vehicle will have to be repaired before he can continue his journey.
"It used to be red. Now it's red and black."
Tom Jungling, 52, of Hampton was en route to Seton Hill University to bring his son home for the holidays when he saw utility vehicles pulled off the side of the road just as he entered the turnpike.
"Then I began hearing something rough hitting under me. I pulled off to the side of the road with about 20 other cars. Everybody thought they had flat tires. Then I reached under my wheel well and saw black stuff all over my hand. It was literally running down the sidewall and puddling on the ground," Jungling said.
There were no reports of wrecks.
"We obviously have a lot of upset people whose cars have tar in their tires and wheel wells," Capone said. "We are working with our road service provider to help a lot of disabled motorists."
All those who call the turnpike are being given incident numbers to give to state police.
"They will have to provide information to state police in Gibsonia, and then we'll follow the risk-management process for any claims these people have to clean off or whatever the vehicle needs. We're not really sure of the extent of the problem yet."
Copyright 2011 - The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
