A resident lost control of her car and went through the garage door on Bernard Drive in Buffalo Grove on Friday. Larry Shapiro photo
Around 1PM on Friday, Buffalo Grove received a 9-1-1 call reporting a car into the house at 646 Bernard Drive. First arriving police officers found a split-level house with a driveway that sloped down to the garage that was below the street level. A resident had lost control of her car and driven through the closed door ending up inside the garage. The driver was not trapped but the collision had knocked a chemical container from a shelf where it spilled on the floor and came into contact with a fertilizer. A reaction ensued and when the fire department arrived they had an unstable condition with several police officers and the driver having been exposed to the vapors.
The garage door was down and the car broke through knocking chemicals off the shelf which spilled and mixed with a fertilizer. Larry Shapiro photo
Several Buffalo Grove police officers as well as the car's driver were exposed to potentially harmful fumes after the chemical spilled on the garage floor. One officer was transported to the hospital as a precaution and the others signed releases at the scene. Larry Shapiro photo
The area was sealed off and haz mat techs were requested to evaluate the spill inside the garage. Buffalo Grove requested mutual aid to cover the town while their units were handling this incident. One of the mutual aid ambulances was used to transport a police officer that had been exposed to the chemicals. The car’s driver and the other officers signed medical releases at the scene.
Hazardous materials technicians took the necessary precautions prior to entering the garage so they could neutralize the spill. Larry Shapiro photo
Companies went into the garage to investigate, neutralize, and then mitigate the spilled product before the event was secured without further incident.
Duct tape is used to seal the sleeves on the turnout coat of a haz mat technician prior to entering the affected area. Larry Shapiro photo
Firefighters with a hose standby in the street as a backup company on the lawn is ready to assist the haz mat techs that have entered the garage. Larry Shapiro photo
The haz mat technicians in the garage cleared the damaged door to give them additional light and air circulation inside the garage. Larry Shapiro photo
After the haz mat technicians exit the 'hot zone', they go through a decontamination process to rinse any chemical residue from their gear. Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro submitted several images and has a gallery with more images which can be seen HERE.
The Daily Herald has an article HERE.
