OSP Cited California Truck Driver for Overturning Trailer on Redwood Highway
The Oregon State Police cited a California truck driver for overturning a fuel tanker trailer on Redwood Highway near Wilderville last weekend.
OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle crash on US Highway 199 near Round Prairie Road on Sunday at about 12:25 p.m..
Troopers said evidence at the scene, driver and witness statements indicated the driver of the semi -- a 59-year-old Klamath, California, man -- left the highway after falling asleep at the wheel. They said he overcorrected to get the semi and trailer back onto the roadway, causing the tanker trailer to tip over.
According to OSP, an unknown amount of gasoline and diesel fuel spilled from the tanker and into a pond on a nearby property. The property owner was identified as a 73-year-old Wilderville man. Rural Metro firefighters assisted crews from the Oregon Department of Transportation with spill containment and cleanup.
The heavy recovery team from Caveman Towing hauled the damaged trailer into Grants Pass. Redwood Highway was completely shut down for more than three hours and traffic movement was slow after that due to a huge backup of vehicles.
Following the investigation, the unhurt trucker was cited for unspecified violations.
Posted on 4/30/24 6:31AM by Sam Marsh
