Road collision with a CGH2 trailer

The driver of a compressed gas tube-trailer lost control of the vehicle trying an evasive manoeuvre, swerved and crashed into the oncoming lane, rolling on one side and remaining lying across all lanes. There, a car crashed into the hazardous materials transporter, The 13 hydrogen containers, approximately ten meters long, withstood the impact.
Fire department and a specialised company performed a controlled release of the gas. The area surrounding the accident was evacuated for this purpose. The highway remained completely closed in both directions for more than 15 hours. Traffic was temporarily backed up for several kilometers.

Police estimate the total damage at €250,000.

INITIATING CAUSE was a traffic accident. In absence of information on drivers and driver behaviours, the ROOT CAUSE can be attributed generically to a human error (wrong manoeuvre).
The road condition, wet and slippery due to rain contributed to the loss of control of the vehicle.

roll over

The trailer had 13 tubes ca. 10 m long. Noting is reported on their state of filling.

This is a case of road crash without damage of the components of the tube trailers critical to prevention of hydrogen accidental release. The most of them are at control cabinet at the rear of the trailer, and at the other side, just behind the cabin of the truck. Despite the lack of details known on the damage experienced by the trailer during the crash, the fact that it rolled on its side induce to think that pressure control and relief valves and related pipes were not involved in any impact and remained integer. Since the trailer come to rest across all lanes, also the later crash of a car into the trailer occurred probably at trailer side.