Flipped semi-truck dumps 26,000 lbs ham on Highway 34

The westbound lanes of U.S. 34 by New London were closed to traffic early this morning.
As people started their morning commutes they were detoured through New London after the trailer of a flipped semi-truck broke open and covered the roadway and median with 26,000 pounds of uncured ham.
The accident occurred, said a Henry County Sheriff's report, at 1:33 a.m. when the driver, Roger Allen Hageman, 51, of Ute, Iowa, fell asleep at the wheel. The truck, owned by Moeller Trucking, Denison, entered the median ditch. At that time the driver awoke and attempted to bring the truck back onto the roadway.
The tractor and trailer flipped onto the driver's side and came to rest across both westbound lanes of traffic.
Nearly the entire load of the meat was spilled into the median and onto the roadway when the trailer split open during the accident, requiring a lengthy clean-up process.

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Truckin’ Bozo moderator Barb Wyatt, friend to truckers dies

Barb Wyatt, long-time moderator of the Truckin’ Bozo Interactive Forum, died Tuesday, May 29, 2007. She was 70.

“Barb was a first-class lady. Devoted to truckers and others who needed help on the chat room or Interactive and she spent many hours helping her fellow man/woman,” the Truckin’ Bozo, Dale Sommers, wrote on his forum shortly after learning of her death.

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Truck Trailer Dumps Grain On Highway 20

A semi-trailer full of grain came loose and crashed on US Highway 20 near Rigby on Wednesday.

The semi was pulling two trailers, when all of a sudden the second trailer unhitched and plowed into the side of the road.

Some 20 to 30,000 pounds of wheat was dumped on the side of the highway, causing a big mess.

Luckily no other vehicles were involved in the mishap.

The truck was from a farm in Ashton.

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Fatal Construction Accident

LANSING TOWNSHIP - A construction worker is dead and another beign treated at the hospital after a semi-truck tips over at the Eastwood Towne Center.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, but preliminary reports point to mechanical failure on a dump truck next to the semi.

It's believed the hydraulics system failed causing the frame to bend and crash into the other truck.

Lansing Township Police are leading the investigation. Lansing Police and the Michigan State Police are assisting.

The victim's name and age have not been released.

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Woman injured when car, semi-truck crash in Plymouth area

PLYMOUTH — A woman received minor injuries Tuesday when the car in which she was riding was struck by a semi-truck at the intersection of U.S. 30 and Queen Road.

According to a report from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, the accident occurred at 9:40 a.m. when a semi-truck driven by 49-year-old George Newman, of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., drove through a red light at the intersection while heading east on U.S. 30.

Newman told police he did not see the light, and was forced to swerve to the right to avoid a car already stopped in front of him. The maneuver caused the trailer of his truck to slide in a clockwise direction, striking a car driven by 77-year-old Raymond Clevenger, of Walkerton, as it headed south on Queen Road through the intersection.

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Truckers injured in collision

Two truckers narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal collision Tuesday morning in Royalton.

Just after 8 a.m., two semis collided almost head-on at Gasport and Chestnut Ridge roads, leaving one truck twisted and mangled, on its side in the front yard of a home.

“This is something we don’t see very often,” said Terry’s Corners Third Assistant Chief Dan Hausman.

The first truck, a Ryder rented out of Buffalo or Rochester, was apparently headed south on Gasport Road and was stopped at the traffic light. When the light turned green, the truck entered the intersection and was hit by the second truck, registered to Cox Transportation Company in Ashland, Va., which was traveling east on Chestnut Ridge Road.

“It was kind of a careening-type blow,” Niagara County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Chris Carlin said. “It wasn’t a total head-on, but it was more of almost a T-bone collision.”

The collision ripped open the trailer of the Cox Transportation truck, sending its cargo — eight 5,000-pound rolls of paper —careening into the road.

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Brownstown man dies after being struck by semi

WOODHAVEN -- A 76-year-old Brownstown man suffering from dementia died Monday evening after being struck by a semi truck while attempting to cross Interstate 75 on foot.

Roy Pegouske was transported by ambulance to Oakwood Southshore Medical Center around 5 p.m., where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

The accident closed traffic on north and southbound I-75 near King Road for more than two hours as Woodhaven and state police investigated.

Pegouske wandered "disoriented" from his condominium near the expressway onto the interstate and tried to cross, said Metro South Post Sgt. Michael Shaw, adding the man was the father-in-law of a trooper stationed at the Metro South post.

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1 Dead In Big Rig, Vehicle Accident On 60 Freeway

A 49-year-old man died after his car blew a tire on a freeway, veered into the path of a big rig and got wedged underneath, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

The crash occurred on the westbound Pomona (60) Freeway just east of Fairway Drive around noon Monday, said CHP Officer Patrick Kimball.

James Ong, of Moreno Valley, was traveling west about 60 mph in the No. 2 lane when the right rear tire of his 1988 Volvo apparently blew out, Kimball said.

The car veered to the right into the No. 4 lane, directly into the path of the big rig, traveling about 50 mph, when it struck the passenger side of the car, he said.

The car was pushed into a concrete drainage ditch and ended up on its roof with the big rig partially on top of it, Kimball said.

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Bee-hauling trucker dies, releasing swarm (2 days ago)

A truck driver hauling more than 17 million bees was killed in an accident on Interstate 55, and three southeast Missouri beekeepers were called in to help manage the swarm that escaped after the wreck.

The accident happened yesterday afternoon. The driver was identified today as Alan Hunter, 37, of Richville, Minn.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the semi sideswiped a bridge guardrail near Scott City, went off the road and overturned in a soybean field. Hunter was pronounced dead at the scene.

"We think he just fell asleep," Cpl. Mark Winder said.

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Log Truck Driver Receives Serious Injuries in Crash on Highway 36 Near Triangle Lake (4 days ago)

Police say a truck driver was seriously injured Today when he lost control of his loaded log truck and rolled off Highway 36 near milepost 30 in the area of Blachly. The driver and his dog were entrapped in the truck for about three hours until being freed by firefighters.

Around noon, a loaded log truck driven by 41-year old Wesley Nicholson of Springfield, was westbound on Highway 36 attempting to negotiated a right curve too fast according to police, when he crossed the centerline. The truck and trailer went off the opposite shoulder and rolled. The logs broke free from the trailer and Nicholson was entrapped.

Lane Rural Fire District personnel responded and were able to free Nicholson and his dog about three hours later.

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Pier Ramp At Shipyard Collapses, Sending 18-Wheeler Into Water (4 days ago)

A ramp leading to a pier at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy collapses under the weight of a commercial truck, sending the 18-wheeler into the water.

Quincy Police Captain John Dougan says the truck's driver managed to escape as it sunk in the dockside water.

Dougan says it's not immediately clear whether the driver made it out on his own or was rescued. He was being evaluated by medical personnel, but doesn't appear to have serious injuries.

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I-94 reopens after deadly wreck (4 Days ago)

Traffic resumed on eastbound Interstate 94 late this afternoon after a horrific crash this morning killed a truck driver and damaged an overpass.

An 18-wheeler carrying a load of steel crashed into the Warren Avenue bridge at I-94 this morning, closing the freeway and leaving thousands of motorists stranded in back-ups that stretched for miles.

The 10:40 a.m. accident caused another semi to crash, although it apparently did not hit the overpass, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. The cab of the second semi, which was carrying auto parts, was crushed. Witnesses say the driver of the second truck was killed.

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Truckers survive plunge (7 days ago)

Two Southwestern Ontario truckers were lucky to be alive yesterday, recovering in hospital after their rig tumbled off a bridge near Edmonton, rolling nearly 100 metres to the edge of a rushing river.

The brush with death for Robert Sloane of Woodstock and Raymond Johnston of Chatham came after their tractor-trailer careened down a vertical drop one observer likened to the most frightening slopes on ski mountains.

"It would be a black diamond ski slope," said Yellowhead area fire Chief Cory Chegwyn, who was among the emergency responders.

The river at the point where the semi tumbled lies nearly 100 metres below the bridge deck. The slope averages about 35 degrees.

"It anywhere from bounced to rolled all the way to the riverbed," said Chegwyn.

RCMP Const. Shane Mordeen called the crash "kind of freaky," saying the men have reason for thanks.

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Serious Crash in Washington County (7 days ago)

ALLENTON - A 41-year-old woman suffered serious injuries in a bad accident in Washington County between her SUV and a flatbed semi-truck.

The accident happened at Hwy. 33 and Alpine Dr. just east of Hwy. 41 around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. It appears to be a head-on crash where the semi-truck tried to slam on the brakes yards ahead, indicated by thick skid marks on the road.

The Allenton Fire Department had to extricate the woman, now identified as Mary Miller of the West Bend area, from the SUV. She was taken by a Flight for Life helicopter to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.

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Truck Collides With 18-Wheeler In Johnson County

It took fire crews 20 minutes to free a 400-pound passenger trapped inside a pick-up truck that collided with an 18-wheeler earlier Saturday night.

The accident happened just before 6 p.m. on Highway 67 in Johnson County.

The pick-up was crushed in the crash.

Witnesses said the big rig was making a left turn when the pick-up truck was attempting to pass it.

The driver of truck and his passenger were taken by helicopter to Harris hospital.

Witnesses told police the pick-up was weaving in and out of traffic.

"To be able to knock off a steel cast iron bumper off the front end of an 18-wheeler, they had to be going pretty fast," witness Brent Sappington said.

Officials said seatbelts saved everyone involved.

"Both were wearing their seat belts. If it wasn't for that," Eddie Pahl with the Bono Fire Department said. "I imagine it would've been devastating (if not)."

None of the injuries are believed to be life threatening.

The 18-wheeler driver refused medical attention at the scene.

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Trucker rams rig into state trooper's car six times

A state trooper out of Harrisburg headquarters was injured Friday after a semi truck driver rammed the trooper's unmarked police car numerous times.

James W. Essman, of Piedmont, Mo., was arrested and charged with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and terroristic threats, police said.

State Police at Fogelsville said Trooper Timothy Flickinger merged onto Interstate 78 from Route 22 into stop and go traffic when Essman rammed Flickinger's car. Police said Essman hit the car six times and pushed it underneath a school bus filled with students.

The reason why Essman smashed into the car is under investigation, police said.

Flickinger was treated at Lehigh Valley Hospital--Cedar Crest for neck and back injuries and released today, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

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Big Rig Driver In Concord Crash Had Revoked License; Witnesses Say Incident Was Terrifying

Three people were taken to the hospital after a tractor trailer driver lost control of his rig and plowed into nearly a dozen vehicles in a restaurant parking lot in Concord.Authorities say around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Straker Junior Shuler III, 58, was driving the tractor trailer northbound on Interstate 85 when, inadvertently, he went up the ramp to Speedway Boulevard.

He told officers he didn’t realize he had exited until he saw the stoplight at the top of the ramp, and he tried to stop but couldn’t.The big rig, which was carrying household cleaning products, was going about 65 miles per hour when it entered the Texas Roadhouse Grill parking lot and began crashing into cars, Concord police said.

Officers said 11 cars in the parking lot were damaged, but the restaurant itself was not hit. The building was evacuated as a precaution.The damage to the big rig, the other cars and the restaurant property is estimated at $1 million.The Highway Patrol, which assisted the Concord police in the investigation, said Shuler has a revoked commercial driver’s license in his home state of Ohio.

Troopers cited him for that offence and also for having an improper log book.Shuler has been charged by Concord police with driving without a license and careless and reckless driving.Authorities said there were no signs that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.

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Accident kills woman, 69

A 69-year-old North Carolina woman died Friday when an unattended tractor-trailer rolled down a hill and crashed into the BP gas station along Route 524.

Nancy Gawarecki, 69, of Pine Bluff, N.C., was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:05 p.m. by Lackawanna County Deputy Coroner Tim Rowland, nearly an hour after the crash occurred.

The Priority Transportation tractor with a 53-foot trailer attached was parked in the lot of a Gulf station on the north side of Route 524, township Police Chief James Romano said. It rolled downhill, across the highway into the BP station parking lot, struck Mrs. Gawarecki and crashed into the store building.

Mrs. Gawarecki was standing outside a Chevrolet Impala with North Carolina license plates parked near pumps 8 and 9. Her husband was pumping gas at the time, Chief Romano said.

“The driver wasn’t in the truck at the time,” the chief said. “When he came out and saw what happened, he had a heart attack.”

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Four-vehicle wreck snarls I-81 traffic

Traffic was tied up for hours and one person suffered minor injuries in a four-vehicle accident Friday in the northbound lanes of Interstate 81.

The accident happened at 12:12 p.m. near Exit 3. A truck carrying a wide load accompanied by a slow-moving transport vehicle north of the accident site appears to have slowed traffic, which contributed to the accident, according to Binghamton city police.

Jonathan Croft, 28, of Corning was driving a tractor-trailer, weighing about 96,000 pounds, in the righthand lane of I-81. He couldn't stop in time for the traffic in front of him and pulled his rig into the passing lane. He then tried to slow his vehicle by sliding it against the median's concrete barrier, but still hit a truck in front of him, police said.

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Truck crashes through home

A Pike County couple was left homeless this week after a 10-wheel tractor trailer demolished their home.

The Kentucky State Police is still investigating the accident that left a tractor trailer belonging to the J.S. Reed Company in the bedroom of Lenny and Libby Ford on Lower Johns Creek.

“We ain't got a home,” Libby Ford said.

The Ford couple, who moved into the mobile home after their house burned last year, has been staying with family members since the accident Monday evening. Company owner John Reed said an insurance adjuster was scheduled to visit the site yesterday.

“I hate that it happened,” he said. “I'm glad nobody was home. Accidents happen. I don't think it was necessarily anybody's fault. It's just one of them things.”

Reed said driver Charles Thompson lost control of the truck when he had a blow-out or when he dropped a wheel off the side of the road. He couldn't regain control of the truck, which ran approximately 290 feet through a neighboring yard and fence before crashing into the mobile home.

Thompson was not injured.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Kevin Thacker, lead investigator, was unavailable for comment.

Boy Dies from Injuries in Accident That Killed His Two Sisters

A 5-year-old boy died hours after a tractor-trailer crashed into his family's minivan, killing his two young sisters and injuring his mother and grandmother, authorities said Saturday.

Kyle Coble had surgery after the Friday afternoon crash on Interstate 5 but died later in the evening at Mission Hospital. His sisters, 2-year-old Katie Coble and 4-year-old Emma Coble had died minutes apart at different hospitals earlier Friday, said Officer Katrina Lundgren of the California Highway Patrol.

Traffic had slowed to a crawl on the freeway north of Oso Parkway, and the minivan came to a stop in the slow lane. The driver of the tractor-trailer, 37-year-old Jorge Miguel Romero of Apple Valley, apparently didn't see the stopped traffic. His rig crushed the minivan and pushed it into an SUV.

"He just couldn't stop in time," Lundgren said. "There isn't any DUI suspected. There wasn't any inattention. He just couldn't stop."

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Truck falls off Interstate 95

Standing outside Maggie L. Walker Governor's School yesterday, Tony Daniels surveyed the mangled tractor-trailer that had fallen 21 feet from an Interstate 95 overpass.

The tractor-trailer veered off Interstate 95 in downtown Richmond late yesterday morning, crashing onto a grassy area behind the school near Leigh and Lombardy streets.

As Richmond police and firefighters at the wreck site walked by him, a few offered Daniels a pat on the shoulder and their compliments.

Some called him a hero.

But Daniels, an eastern Henrico County resident, says his actions weren't heroic, just the instinctive response of an average man who saw people in need.

"I was just trying to help out, that's it," he said.

When Daniels heard screams from inside the tractor-trailer's cab, he stopped his car to help, he said. When he tore open the already shredded fiberglass roof, he found a male driver and his wife trapped inside.

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