A JEDA environmental remediation truck turns down state Route 30 on Thursday morning, toward the site of a crash involving a leaking propane truck which closed the road for several hours. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

PAUL SMITHS — A crash involving a propane truck on state Route 30 north of Paul Smiths heading toward Malone closed the major roadway on Thursday morning.

Paul Smiths-Gabriels Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tom Tucker said a pickup truck went sideways and took out the rear axle of a propane truck at around 7 a.m. The pickup truck went off the road and the propane truck flipped on its side and was leaking fuel.

“Both people did not have injuries, amazingly,” Tucker said.

He said the road, near the Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center, was slightly snow-covered.

The leak was not serious and very little fuel spilled out, Tucker said. He said the truck was still around 80% full when it was returned upright. Still, it doesn’t take much propane to fill the air with its noxious smell, he added.

Firefighters used between 15,000 and 20,000 gallons of water on the truck, to keep it from igniting as it was turned back onto its wheels.

Tucker said the spill was not big enough to warrant an environmental cleanup.

Firefighters closed the road off at the intersection of state Route 86 at Paul Smith’s College and at the intersection with state Route 458 in Duane.

Traffic was rerouted, with some people turning around and others taking the more remote back roads.

But on social media, a couple people said they had to turn around as a tractor trailer got stuck on a back road which isn’t plowed as much.

State Route 30 reopened five hours after it was closed.

PSGVFD responded with five trucks and 20 members. The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded with one truck and six members. The Bloomingdale Volunteer Fire Department and Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad also responded. There were no medical transports needed. The Duane Volunteer Fire Department closed the road on their end.

Tucker warned motorists to drive very carefully, especially when there is snow on the roads and especially during white-out conditions.

“And stop to help if there is an accident,” he added. “Because we had one last week where the person caused the accident and kept right on going.”