They say the truck was carrying medical equipment to a Macon hospital.
MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — A truck carrying radioactive medical supplies in Monroe County crashed Monday morning, but state officials say that the area is not hazardous to the public, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says.
The crash happened on Highway 74 just past Debra Drive, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s 511 website.
The truck was en route to a Macon hospital and was carrying Technetium-99M, which is a radioactive isotope that is used in medical imaging.
But just before 7 a.m., the sheriff’s office says the truck crashed, prompting the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) to respond to the scene.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Technetium-99M is a “short-lived” version of Technetium 99. Because of that, Technetium-99M has a shorter half-life — only 6 hours — which means its radioactive properties don’t last long in either the body or the environment.
The EPD and GEMA officials reported that the scene was not hazardous, but a radiation clean-up crew was dispatched to the scene.
The crash has caused the right lane of Highway 74 to be shut down.
This is a developing story. We will update this story when more information becomes available.
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