Overturned truck at Railroad pass stalls traffic

Jace Radke

Friday, March 26, 1999 | 11:11 a.m.

A roadblock, possible hazardous materials, and the surrounding desert weren't enough to keep one Boulder City teacher from making it across Railroad Pass on Thursday afternoon.

Henry Bruckman, a special education teacher at Elton Garrett Middle School in Boulder City, was on his way to umpire Little League games in Henderson when a Safety Kleen truck carrying cleaning agents rolled and blocked U.S. 95 for about five hours Thursday afternoon.

Henderson Police and the Nevada Highway Patrol quickly sealed off U.S. 95 to motorists on both sides of Railroad Pass because of the possibility that the cleaning agents were toxic.

With driving over the pass not an option, Bruckman called his wife in Henderson and asked her to meet him at the Magic Star Casino, 2000 S. Boulder Highway, on the Henderson side. Then he started walking.

"I just started following the railroad tracks, and hoping that I could meet my wife in time to make my 5 p.m. game," Bruckman said. "I just remembered what it was like when I was playing Little League and the umps didn't show up. Sometimes they got some older kids to help out, but it just wasn't the same."

Bruckman started walking about 2:45 p.m., and met his wife at the casino just after 4 p.m.

Bruckman was able to make it to the game, but many other commuters, travelers and Boulder City residents found themselves waiting until 4 p.m. to budge from their spot on the highway.

The traffic snarl began after large Ford truck carrying solvents rolled on U.S. 95 across from the Railroad Pass hotel-casino at about 11 a.m.

The driver of the truck, Carroll Miller, told Henderson Police that a gust of wind blew her off the road, but police say they suspect that a lack of attention could be the cause of the accident.

The truck was headed westbound toward Las Vegas when it drifted into the median and rolled onto the driver's side. The driver suffered only minor injuries, but her cargo spilled onto the roadway, police said.

"The truck was carrying solvents used to clean car parts, and it spilled some of that on the road," Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said. "Our Hazmat (hazardous materials) team was called out to clean up the solvents."

Those trying to make it to Boulder City were forced to use Lake Shore Drive, which became a bumper-to-bumper nightmare as the afternoon wore on. Those trying to reach Las Vegas from Laughlin were detoured to Searchlight and then Primm before taking Interstate 15 into Las Vegas.

During the traffic snarl some decided that it was better to wait it out in the Magic Star than to sit through the traffic.

"We have somewhat of a captive audience today," Jerry Guastella, a slot manager at the casino, said. "These kinds of things happen, but I wish it could have waited until after we changed shifts.

"We're waiting on a new shift that is made up mainly of people from Boulder City that can't get here right now."

Ironically the marquee in front of the casino was advertising Monopoly slot machines with a message that read "Do not pass go" as police turned cars around in front of the sign.