What could have been a major hazardous material spill was averted when a tractor-trailer carrying fuel overturned just across the Virginia line Tuesday afternoon.

According to Surry County Emergency Services Director John Shelton, emergency responders received a call at 4:14 p.m. alerting them to the incident, which occurred just inside Virginia on Interstate 77.

While the specifics related to the accident is still under investigation, Shelton said the tractor-trailer was traveling south on the interstate.

“We’re thinking that the driver had some sort of medical condition that rendered him unresponsive for a few minutes,” he said.

Shelton said the truck left the roadway and overturned the vehicle against a bank on the shoulder of the interstate.

“We had no haz-mat situation other than getting the fuel off the truck before turning the truck back over,” he said.

Shelton said two individuals at the scene declined treatment, but the driver was transported to the hospital to be checked out.

“There was no fuel spill because we ended up being able to pump it all off the truck before turning it back over,” he said, adding that damage to the truck required it to be removed from the scene via a flatbed truck.

Reach Keith Strange at kstrange@heartlandpublications.com or 719-1929.