Truck run amok
Washington State Patrol/courtesy photo A semi missed a curve and landed in the Columbia River Monday afternoon. As of Tuesday, the trailer loaded with apples had not been recovered.
PRIEST RAPIDS DAM — A trailer full of apples that went for a swim upstream from Priest Rapids Dam left the Washington State Patrol, the Grant County PUD and the truck’s owners with a dilemma. The trailer amok was still stuck Tuesday afternoon.
The accident occurred Monday afternoon about 2:15 p.m., according to a press release from the Washington State Patrol. The truck, a 2000 Freightliner driven by Richard Hearron, 44, Outlook, was traveling south on SR 243 about 1.5 miles south of Schawana, the press release said.
Hearron failed to negotiate the left-hand curve and ran off the road and the truck rolled down the embankment, coming to rest with the trailer and the container in the river. Hearron was injured and was treated at Quincy Valley Medical Center.
The container was filled with apples; it broke loose and floated down the river.
That’s not good, especially not for items downstream – a dam, for example. “We were able to get a crew out in a boat and track down the trailer,” said Chuck Allen, public information specialist for the Grant County PUD.
The errant container was discovered on a gravel bar. To keep it from escaping again, the PUD crew secured it to an object onshore, Allen said.
As of Tuesday afternoon it was still there. “The company is still trying to work out the logistical aspects of how to get it out of there,” said Brian Moore, public information officer for WSP’s District 6. Maybe a barge, Moore said.
The container is not leaking any hazardous materials, Moore said.
Hearron was cited for driving too fast for the conditions, according to the state patrol memo.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com