Tragedy struck Indian Creek near Port Angeles on Friday, July 18th when the driver of a sixteen wheeler tanker truck carrying diesel fuel failed to make a turn on Highway 101. The vehicle tumbled several hundred feet down an embankment after leaving the highway, eventually coming to rest, overturned in Indian Creek.
A principal tributary to the Elwha River, Indian Creek is a key salminoid habitat and resource for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. As a result of the crash, more than 3,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel were released into the local waterways. Enough that the city of Port Angeles had to issue a temporary “Do Not Drink” order for tap water, until testing could confirm the safety of area water supplies.
While there are no exact counts, local officials estimate that thousands of fish have been killed as a result of the spill, with large numbers of dead salmon fry and trout, as well as other species, visible in the creek. The Seattle Times Reports that tribe members collected fish for “chemical analysis” and “documentation.”
Reports from the Washington State Patrol claim the driver was a 58-year-old Port Angeles resident working for PNW fuel distribution company PetroCard.
“It’s our truck. It’s our driver. It’s our responsibility,” PetroCard CEO Laura Yellig told the Seattle Times. “… We live, work and play in the community. We’ll be here throughout the recovery, and we’ll continue to be here.”
The driver has been accused of second degree “negligent driving,” which is a non-criminal traffic infraction and does not carry criminal penalties, but may be detrimental to a driver’s record and/or carry a fine of up to $250. Reports from the crash suggest that the driver was not seriously injured in the incident, but claims to have suffered a “medical emergency” at the time the vehicle left the roadway.
A tragic incident on multiple fronts, this spill comes at an especially bad time for the tribal community, as Elwha is just days away from hosting the 2025 Annual Tribal Canoe Journeys. Paddlers for the Puyallup Tribe set off from Squaxin Island on July 23rd and will journey through Nisqually, Tacoma, Suquamish, Port Gamble, Port Townsend, and Jamestown before landing in Lower Elwha on July 31st.
