Hazmat team responds to tanker rollover, I-64 East closed from Institute to Dunbar

UPDATED - 4:10 p.m., 6/3/26 The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has responded to a chemical release that followed a crash along Interstate 64 in Kanawha County Wednesday afternoon. A tanker truck hauling an industrial chemical used in polyurethane manufacturing overturned near Institute, prompting a response from multiple agencies along with a hazmat team. The wreck has closed eastbound lanes between Institute and Dunbar. The DEP is working to see if the release reached the Kanawha River and has notified the closest downstream water intake system in Huntington out of an abundance of caution. According to a news release from the department, contact with the material may cause irritation. WVDEP personnel are onsite and coordinating with local first responders and environmental contractors to contain and recover the material, and to oversee response and cleanup activities. Containment measures have been deployed to prevent additional material from leaving the crash site, and crews are working to upright the wrecked tanker. Police said the driver was hospitalized, but his condition was not immediately known. UPDATED 2 p.m., 6/3/26 Emergency personnel are working to clear Interstate 64 after a tanker truck hauling a hazardous chemical overturned in Kanawha County Wednesday afternoon. According to crews on scene, the tanker was hauling diphenylmethane diisocyanate , a chemical used to produce polyurethane foams. The substance may be toxic if ingested. The crash was reported at mile marker 48 near Institute Wednesday afternoon. Deputies said eastbound lanes between Institute and Dunbar have been shut down and traffic is being diverted off the Institute exit. Crews said efforts to plug and right the overturned vehicle are underway. The Charleston Fire Department's hazmat team has been tasked with cleanup efforts. According to deputies, the driver was transported to CAMC General Hospital. The driver's condition was not immediately known. Eastbound lanes were affected earlier in the day after a tractor trailer lost its load near the Fort Hill Bridge in Charleston. This story will be updated as new details become available. ORIGINAL STORY A tanker has rolled over on Interstate 64 East in Kanawha County. The crash was reported at mile marker 48 near Institute shortly after noon on Wednesday, according to a Metro 911 alert. The left and center lanes have been shut down as crews work to clear the area. Eastbound lanes were affected earlier in the day after a tractor trailer lost its load near the Fort Hill Bridge in Charleston. This story will be updated with new information as it becomes available.