Portsmouth, NH – A tanker truck driver was hospitalized Monday afternoon after a rollover crash that shut down an Interstate 95 on-ramp in Portsmouth for several hours, according to New Hampshire State Police.
Troopers with Troop A responded around 3:39 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, to reports of a rollover involving a tanker truck traveling from the Portsmouth Traffic Circle onto I-95 northbound.
According to investigators, the 1993 Peterbilt 379, towing a 2019 tanker trailer carrying landfill leachate, was driven by John Q. Turner, 71, of Readfield, Maine, who allegedly failed to negotiate a curve on the ramp. The truck and trailer rolled onto their side, blocking part of the on-ramp. Turner was helped from the cab and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital for minor injuries.
The crash prompted an extensive cleanup lasting roughly five and a half hours after approximately 75 gallons of a mix of diesel fuel, motor oil, and hydraulic oil spilled from the tanker. Crews from the Portsmouth Fire Department, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and NH Department of Transportation worked to remove the truck, stabilize the spill, and reopen the ramp.
Turner was later cited for negligent driving, police said. The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Daniel Bourque at Daniel.J.Bourque@dos.nh.gov.
