Spilled Bottles in FedEx Truck Closes Street

A FedEx driver was sent to the hospital after chemicals spilled inside his truck Wednesday afternoon, causing fire officials to close a portion of Green Street in Huntington.

A section of Green Street in downtown Huntington village was closed and at least one building was evacuated for about an half hour Wednesday afternoon after bottles of cleaning additive spilled in the back of a FedEx truck, fire officials said.

The driver of the vehicle, which was park in front of Francine’s Fashion Boutique at 5 Green St., called 911 at about 12:30 p.m., according to Huntington Fire Department dispatch. Huntington Fire Chief Robert Berry said the driver called after he started having trouble breathing and felt light-headed. The driver was transported to Huntington Hospital for evaluation.

In addition to the Huntington Fire Department Suffolk police, Islip HAZMAT and Huntington Community First Aid Squad responded to the scene.

Officials determined that four 1 gallon bottles of sodium hypochlorite, a cleaning additive, spilled. Berry said the chemical compound is only toxic in enclosed areas, so officials ventilated the truck and closed off Green Street between Main and West Carver streets.

Francine Federici, owner of Francine’s Fashion Boutique, was told by fire officials to evacuate her building. She was able to return at around 1 p.m.