A semi truck hauling hydrochloric acid overturned on Interstate 90 near Harmony, Illinois, early Friday, just after midnight, forcing lane closures and a HAZMAT response in McHenry County.
Illinois State Police confirmed the truck was carrying hydrochloric acid. No injuries were reported in the crash.
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the truck to overturn or how much of the corrosive liquid spilled onto the roadway.
Images from the scene show the semi lying on its side as traffic backed up and emergency vehicles converged on the area.
All westbound traffic on I-90 was diverted off the tollway at Illinois Route 23, with drivers redirected to re-enter the highway beyond the entrance ramp. Motorists were urged to avoid the area and seek alternate routes while cleanup crews worked the scene.
The investigation into the cause of the rollover remains ongoing.
What Hydrochloric Acid Is Used For
Hydrochloric acid is a strong, corrosive chemical with wide industrial use. According to Chemical Safety Facts, it is used to process steel for construction, to manufacture vinyl chloride for PVC plastic, and in the production of polyurethane foam and calcium chloride. It also serves as a disinfectant and as a slimicide used to prevent slime growth in paper stock, and shows up in household cleaners, pool maintenance products and food manufacturing.
MedlinePlus describes hydrochloric acid as “a clear, poisonous liquid” and “a caustic chemical and highly corrosive” substance that “immediately causes severe damage to tissues, such as burning, on contact.”
