Water hazard

It was a wet and wild Thursday for Lowcountry commuters.

An overturned tanker full of chemicals snarled Summerville traffic for nearly nine hours, a car struck a building in West Ashley, and a minor wreck on the Don Holt Bridge backed up Interstate 526 traffic past Clements Ferry Road.

And those were just three of scores of wrecks as rain came down steadily all day.

The tanker tipped over about 6:30 a.m. and still was causing backups in the Summerville area until it was cleared at 3:15 p.m.

S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Bob Beres said the tractor-trailer was northbound on U.S. Highway 17A when it tipped over while attempting to make a left turn onto the entrance ramp leading to Interstate 26 westbound.

The tanker was carrying a flame-retardant polymer, said Thom Berry, a spokesman for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. When the polymer reacts with water, it gives off an ammonia-like odor.

The trucking company hired an environmental cleanup crew, which first tried to open the rear door of the trailer while it was still on its side, Berry said. Those efforts failed, so wreckers were brought in to put the trailer back on its wheels.

Once the rig was upright, it was moved to a side road and the cleanup crew began removing the chemicals, Berry said.

Troopers were on scene to redirect traffic, but motorists reported significant delays in the area.

Other delays were reported about 7:40 a.m. on the Don Holt Bridge after a minor wreck blocked the far left lane temporarily. Westbound traffic from Mount Pleasant was backed up beyond the Clements Ferry Road intersection.

The third wreck occurred about 8:30 a.m. when a 2002 Ford Explorer slid into the side of the Pro Golf building on Savannah Highway.

The SUV was northbound in the far left lane when the driver lost control of the car and it slid into the building sideways, said Charles Francis, public information officer for Charleston police.

No one was taken to the hospital. The driver was charged with driving too fast for conditions, Francis said.

David W. MacDougall contributed to this report. Reach Andy Paras at 937-5589 or aparas@postandcourier.com.