Driver Ticketed After Tanker Crash Near Gateway

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) -- The Colorado State Patrol has ticketed the driver of a semitrailer that crashed near Gateway, dumping thousands of gallons of crude oil near West Creek.

Trooper Nate Reid says a preliminary investigation showed excessive speed was a likely cause of the crash Monday on Colorado Highway 141.

Reid says 26-year-old Randy Curtis of Dove Creek was cited on suspicion of careless driving, which is a misdemeanor.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of crude oil spilled near the banks of West Creek.

An EPA response coordinator, Steve Way, told The Daily Sentinel on Tuesday that there were no confirmed cases of fish kill.

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