SHERMAN — An estimated 1,500 gallons of home heating oil was spilled Wednesday afternoon after a plow truck collided with an oil delivery truck on North Street.

At this week’s average price for home heating oil in Maine, the spilled cargo had a retail value of more that $2,300.

The Bates Fuel truck, operated by Paul O’Roak, 45, of Sherman, was parked on the right side of the road at about 3:15 p.m. making a delivery.

The privately owned plow truck was driven by Alex Mitchell, 22, of Sherman. Mitchell said he was passing the tank truck and had raised the wing plow to get by. He didn’t raise it enough, however, and the tip of the plow struck the left rear corner of the oil truck’s tank, ripping a foot-long gaping hole in it.

According to O’Roak, he had just filled the truck with about 2,000 gallons of oil. He had made only a few deliveries before the accident occurred.

The 1,500 gallons of the oil that was left in the truck flowed out, forming a 200-foot pink river down the side of the road.

Firefighters from Sherman and Patten used absorbent pads to stem the flow. Falling snow also slowed the oil.

“We could use that oil,” O’Roak said, as he drove away in the empty oil truck two hours after the accident. “We’ve got people expecting that oil today.”

Carl Allen, an oil and hazardous-material specialist from the Department of Environmental Protection in Presque Isle, arrived at the scene at about 4:30 p.m.

Allen said the snow was a very good absorbent, which would make picking up the oil easier.

“It’s the best absorbent we’ve got,” he said. “It holds [the oil] so well.”

The oil-soaked snow and absorbent pads were to be scooped up and put into roll-off trash containers and taken to the local landfill for later disposal.

Allen said it was too early to tell if there would be any environmental damage, but the fact that the ground is frozen would make cleanup easier and more effective.

“We won’t know until the ground thaws,” he said. “There’s a good chance there won’t be any.”