News Bites for Sept. 27, 2023

MATTAWA — SR 243 was closed briefly early Tuesday morning when a semi-truck rolled over just west of the Vernita Bridge, according to a statement from the Washington State Patrol. At a little after 5:30 a.m., Mykel D. Spurlock, 35, of Kennewick was driving a 2020 Peterbilt northbound on SR 243 at milepost 1 when he drifted off the roadway onto the soft shoulder, according to the WSP. Spurlock overcorrected and the trailer disconnected from the tractor and rolled over. A gash about two inches long caused a minor gasoline leak. There were no injuries. Spurlock was wearing his seat belt, the WSP wrote, and neither drugs nor alcohol was a factor in the incident. Spurlock was cited for wheels off the roadway and failure to maintain lane.