DORCHESTER, Mass. (WHDH) -- Gas poured onto the streets and dozens of residents were evacuated when a tanker truck smashed into a pole in Dorchester Friday morning.

The spill was expected to affect the morning commute as roads had to be shut down for the continued cleanup.

The Boston fire department says the fuel began spilling into the road after a Sunoco tanker drove over the base of a streetlight fixture on Dorchester Avenue late Thursday night. The accident damaged two of the tanker's five sections.

Crews brought in another tanker to off-load fuel from the damaged tanker.

Firefighters say the leak ended around 1:20 a.m. Friday and posted several pictures of the scene on its Twitter account. The pictures showed the damage tanker and firefighters cleaning up the area.

Neighboring homes were evacuated. The fire department says more than 40 people were forced to leave. They stayed on MBTA buses and were all back in their homes by early Friday morning.

The fire department says people were not in danger but it was important to take precautions given the size of the spill.

"The tanks that were damaged, there was about 5,000 gallons in those two tanks,” Deputy Chief Michael Doherty said. About 1,000 gallons were spilled from the tanker overall.

The fire chief said the driver of the tanker is expected to be cited for the incident.

The damaged tanker had been towed away as of 7 a.m. Friday, and all affected roads had been reopened.