UPDATE (3:33 pm): Wasserman Way has reopened.

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A major thoroughfare in town is temporarily closed this morning after a fluid leak led to a jack-knifed tractor trailer, which blocked both directions of the busy roadway.

Around 8:20 am on Friday, July 26, Newtown Hook & Ladder firefighters were already en route to a reported spill on Wasserman Way when they were dispatched to a second call for a jackknifed trailer blocking the roadway.

According to police on scene, a white tractor trailer flatbed with no load was leaking fluid believed to be fuel into the roadway. A second tractor-trailer truck behind the one leaking the fluid then slid in the fuel and jackknifed. A white sedan also spun out behind it.

The trailer that jackknifed punctured its own saddle tank, spilling more diesel fuel onto the roadway. Initial reports indicated approximately 200 gallons were involved in the spill.

Newtown Hook & Ladder responded quickly, pouring Speedi-Dry over the fuel on the road and ensuring no chemicals leaked into the sewer drains or catch basins. Public Works responded quickly as well, deploying a sand truck to spread over the fluids trailing up Wasserman Way towards South Main Street.

Newtown Hook & Ladder members also hiked down the hill to Deep Brook to ensure no contamination was possible from the incident.

No injuries were reported.

Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue was also dispatched to help mitigate the scene. They arrived with a hazmat trailer and used a saddle tank containment kit to ensure the remaining diesel fuel would not spread onto the roadway. Newtown Police blocked Wasserman Way from Queen Street to Trades Lane. Access to the main entrance of Fairfield Hills is currently from the east (Exit 11/Oakview Road side of Wasserman Way).

Traffic off Queen Street is being sent southwest, to South Main Street; drivers cannot turn left onto Mile Hill Road.

Mile Hill Road South is closed between Mile Hill and Keating Farms Avenue.

There was no immediate indication how long it will take to clear the vehicles, fully contain the spill, and reopen the road.

Newtown Police Sergeant Chapman explained, “We can open [the road] up when it’s environmentally safe to open it up.”

Newtown Hook & Ladder Assistant Chief Dan Gindraux said the first priority of those responding “was protecting the storm drains. We got things contained, we checked storm drains, and now we’re waiting for CT DEEP to arrive.”

Newtown Police are asking that anyone who witnessed the initial truck leaking to contact them at 203-426-5841. It's possible the issue was unknown to that driver, the department indicated in a Facebook post.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.