A portion of Washington St. received a fresh coat of paint Monday morning courtesy of 10 gallons of Sherwin Williams that fell off the back of a truck.
According to the Oxford Village Police, a 37-year-old self-employed painter from Lake Orion was traveling north on S. Washington St. when two of the several 5-gallon paint cans stored in the back of his 2001 Toyata pickup fell out and onto the road. ‘The top rear door of the pickup bed apparently came open,? the police report stated.
An oil-based white paint from one of the 5-gallon cans spilled all over the southbound lane, coating the road from Margot’s Gallery and Frame to Pat’s Place restaurant.
A second paint spill was located at the southwest corner of S. Washington and Dennison streets. ‘The spill was next to the curb and not in the moving lane of traffic,? the police report stated. A 5-gallon can of latex paint was recovered from the smaller spill.
The Oxford Fire Department and village Department of Public Works were called to the scene to clean up the big mess.
Firefighters hosed down the road, but took precautions to ensure none of the oil-based paint washed into the sanitary sewer system, according to Fire Chief Jack LeRoy.
DPW workers then used a front-end loader to spread dirt on top of the paint-soaked road to stabilize the slippery surface and absorb the paint for cleanup.
DPW workers shoveled and swept up the excess dirt and then a street sweeper came through to clean the area.
Firefighters hosed down the road again after that.
LeRoy said he plans to bill the responsible driver for the clean-up costs incurred by the department.
According to Fire Administrative Assistant Margie Payne, the driver will be charged $780, which includes two hours of labor for 10 firefighters plus the cost of deploying four vehicles to scene.
‘I do see us charging for our time (and equipment),? said DPW Superintendent Don Brantley.
Brantley said the driver could be charged an estimated $200, which would include 30-45 minutes of labor for three full-time and two part-time DPW workers plus the cost of using the front-end loader and street sweeper.
According to the police report, the responsible driver initially left the accident scene, but later returned because ‘it was the right thing to do.? Police Chief Mike Neymanowski described the driver as a ‘religious man.?
The owners of three vehicles that drove through the spill reported to police sustaining ‘paint splatter on the under carriages, wheel wells and body,? according to the report.