RULISON, Colorado — A tanker truck wrecked near Rulison, spilling several thousand gallons of liquid nitrogen and forcing many local residents to evacuate their homes.

The wreck occurred about 9 a.m. on County Road 309 near Rulison, said Cpl. Tonya Billinger, of the Colorado State Patrol.

A tanker truck was attempting to make a right turn in the area and went too far over into the other lane. The vehicle then ran off the road and rolled down a small embankment, Billinger said.

Ron Wanczyk, 27, of Fruita, the driver of the truck, was taken by a personal vehicle to the Battlement Mesa Medical Center for minor injuries, Billinger said.

Billinger said the truck spilled an estimated 6,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen. The truck belongs to Cudd Energy Services, an oil and gas company out of Fruita. The driver is an employee of Cudd, Billinger said.

After the truck rolled down the embankment, local authorities sent out a reverse 911 call advising residents about a half mile from the scene to evacuate their homes. The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office assisted in contacting residents, Billinger said.

Residents in the area were allowed to return their homes about noon, Billinger said.

Rob Ferguson, deputy fire chief of operations for the Grand Valley Fire Protection District, said the biggest hazard at the scene was the truck itself because the spilled liquid nitrogen, which was contained in a discrete pool, evaporated on its own.

“We just let it vapor off,” said Ferguson, adding once liquid nitrogen leaves its container it turns into vapor.

Liquid nitrogen is inert, colorless, odorless, noncorrosive, nonflammable and extremely cold, according to the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Inhalation of nitrogen in excessive amounts can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness and death.

Wanczyk was issued a citation for the crash, according to the CSP.

Agencies responding to this scene included the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, Garfield County Emergency Management, the Colorado State Patrol Hazardous Material Unit, Garfield County Road and Bridge, the Rifle Fire Protection District, the Grand Valley Fire Protection District and the Parachute Police Department.