The State provided the following information via email:
Received notification on 2-20-06 at 8:00 AM from Cardinal Health Nuclear Pharmacy that one of their delivery vehicles had hit a bridge on Hwy 61 North of Vicksburg, MS, near Cary, MS, located in Sharkey County. The RSO stated that the bridge was covered in ice due to the freezing rain weather conditions. The driver apparently lost control of the pick-up and hit the bridge. The truck rolled over. The camper shell came off in the accident and the unit dose shipping containers were scattered on the roadway. The RSO stated that the driver had stated that the unit doses appeared OK and not leaking. The RSO stated that the driver had removed all the shipping containers from the roadway and secured them at the accident scene. The RSO stated that he had a survey meter with him and was en route to the wreck site. He stated that he would notify DRH if he needed assistance, but thought he would be able to handle situation.
The isotopes involved were Tc-99m, I-131, and F-18. The activity is 75 mCi of FDG (Fluorodeoxyglucose); 12 mCi of I-131; 475 mCi of bulk Tc-99m; 100 mCi/unit doses of Tc-99m.
DRH did not respond to job site. RSO called DRH and stated the shipping containers were secured and not damaged. He said he checked the unit doses for leakage and did not detect any contamination. All doses and shipping containers were put in RSO's vehicle and returned to Flowood facility. RSO stated that after he returned to Flowood facility, he wiped all containers and did not detect an removable contamination.
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks.
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the
IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source