Bartow, Fla. — The driver of the truck that spilled acid at an intersection on April 24 has been charged by the Polk County Florida Sheriff’s Department for not properly securing his load. Eric Scott Garland, who received second-degree burns after he slipped while attempting to warn motorists of the hazard, was ticketed on May 2 following an investigation. The spill occurred as he was attempting to stop at an intersection at South Rifle Range Road and State Road 60. The truck was carrying six tanks of sulfuric acid, rock salt, and peroxide, which combined to form a harmful gas cloud, but dispersed quickly due to high winds at the time of the spill. Investigators said he did not have a barricade, which would have prevented the load from shifting, although it was secured with two-inch-straps. A three-mile section of the road was closed for most of the day following the spill and cleanup. Garland was working for Davis Supply Inc. of Fort Myers, Fla. at the time of the incident.
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