Box truck hauling fish overturns, blocks inbound Gowanus traffic

BAY RIDGE– A box truck hauling fish for local stores overturned on the westbound Gowanus Expressway Monday, August 19, injuring two people, and snarling Brooklyn-bound rush-hour traffic all the way to New Jersey, police said.

The box truck, belonging to Hauli Fish House of Georgia, overturned as it approached the Fort Hamilton Parkway overpass, which is under construction, at about 5 p.m., causing the truck to block all lanes of the highway. A car was also said to have `been involved, but it was not clear how.

Firefighters and NYPD emergency services were able to free the driver of the truck and a passenger with only minor injuries. ESU then pulled the truck onto its wheels, but had to stop the removal of the truck because fuel and oil were leaking onto the roadway, requiring hazardous materials firefighters to respond to drain the tanks on the truck before it could be moved.

Frustrated motorists on the highway were stuck for nearly two hours as emergency crews worked to remove the fuel and finally clear the wreck. But by then, the evening rush hour into Brooklyn over the Verrazzano Bridge was a mess.

It was not clear how the crash occurred; as of this writing, it was under investigation by NYPD highway units.

Iron workers on the scene were concerned that the bridge that is under construction was damaged, but firefighters said it appeared the bridge was unharmed.