TEAMS of firecrews, Environment Agency staff and police battled to prevent diesel spilling into a river on Monday morning, after a lorry carrying 33,000 of fuel overturned just outside Meeth.
The accident occurred on the A386 Hatherleigh to Torrington road which was blocked for 12 hours. Diversions were set up whilst a total of 47 personnel dealt with the crash and the subsequent threat of pollution.
The driver of the lorry was taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital with minor injuries.
In a bid to prevent diesel getting into tributaries of the River Mere, a tributary of the main River Torridge, Environment Agency staff put down booms in watercourses to trap any possible spills, as the diesel was pumped off the tanker in order for it to be righted.
Incident control officer PC Bob Watt said the vehicle had overturned on a right-hand bend at around 6.15am, but luckily it was about a mile from the village of Meeth.
'One household living next to the accident site was evacuated as a precaution,' he said. 'There was both a fire risk and a threat of fuel seeping into the river and any well systems, but this diverted due to teamwork by the police, fire brigade and Environment Agency.'
Police have mounted an investigation into the accident.