By Mark LaFlamme,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Spilled fluid, a passing train and late-day commuter traffic on Tuesday created conditions on Minot Avenue that one police officer described as “like driving in New York City.”

Police said a Maine Oxy-Acetylene Supply trailer became disconnected from the truck that was hauling it at about 5 p.m. on the rotary in front of Roy’s Allsteak Hamburgers.

The trailer began seeping slurry into the roadway, prompting fire officials to race to the scene, and police were forced to block traffic around the busy intersection.

The milky, concrete-colored liquid leaking from the trailer began streaming into nearby storm drains. Fire crews wanted to make sure the liquid was not an environmental hazard before clearing the scene.

“They needed to determine if it was safe to wash it down into the drain,” said police Sgt. James Robicheau.

Fire crews consulted Maine Oxy officials and an environmental group before determining that the fluids posed no threat. In the meantime, five police units had been called out to the area to block traffic at several major intersections.

Traffic was diverted around the area at Academy and High streets and other points along Minot Avenue. The location where the mishap occurred connects Minot Avenue and Washington Street, one of the most heavily traveled spots in the city.

“It was right in the middle of rush hour,” Robicheau said. “A train came by. It really turned into a bottleneck out there.”

Traffic snarls began to clear up by about 6 p.m. Police said no wrecks or other problems occurred as a result of the road closure, although tempers were short as drivers tried to make their way to or away from the city in driving rain.

“It was like driving in New York City,” Robicheau said.

It was unknown what caused the trailer to become detached from the truck. The incident remained under investigation Tuesday night.

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