The operator of a sewer vacuum truck that overturned on Old Billerica Road eastbound near the Page Road intersection around noon Thursday faces charges in connection with the incident, according to Bedford police.
Bedford Police Lt. Richard Vitale said on Friday that the investigation indicates “speed was a factor,” and the driver received citations for negligent operation of a vehicle and speeding. The truck was owned by Action King Services of Lowell. Officer David Lopez investigated the accident.
The event was of particular concern because the vehicle was carrying some 1,900 gallons of used cooking oil from area restaurants, and spillage threatened the nearby Shawsheen River.
Vitale said officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency reported to the scene. “Even the storm drains were a concern,” Vitale said.
Spills of vegetable oil into an aquatic environment may result in detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems.
The driver and a passenger were transported to Lahey Hospital by the Bedford Fire Department ambulance for treatment of minor injuries.
