Overturned vehicles close highway
Last updated 6/24/2021 at 4:36pm
LIND - U.S. Highway 395 was partially closed twice in two days following truck crashes that coated the roadway with oil and asphalt.
The first crash occurred Thursday, June 18, near southbound Milepost 75, and the second Friday, June 19, near northbound Milepost 78, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Thursday's 1:15 p.m. incident involved a northbound tanker truck carrying hydraulic oil, the patrol reported.
The vehicle entered the median and overturned, spilling the thick oil on the median and across the southbound lanes, the patrol report said.
The patrol identified the driver as Michael T. Wireman, 25, of Montana. His passenger was identified as Konrad P. Nickol, 58, also of Montana.
Neither was injured in the crash, although the incident prompted the closure of southbound lanes, the patrol reported.
Wireman told troopers he was heading home from Portland, Ore., to Montana, when he crossed the median and overturned on the southbound lanes.
Both he and his passenger were able to climb out of the truck uninjured.
"He said he was looking at something on the hill, drifted off, and crossed the median," patrol Sgt. Ethan Wynecoop said.
The trooper was in Whitman County when the truck overturned.
Wynecoop responded to the scene along with Lind Fire and Rescue, and state Departments of Transportation and Ecology crews.
"There's a 5-mile backup, and some of the motorists are extremely impatient," Wynecoop said. "But everyone else has been so good and understanding with the drivers and what they are experiencing. "That's what I love about our community."
Wynecoop said state Transportation workers set up a detour at the southbound Lind exit.
"The Department of Ecology will assess the situation for any danger. Fortunately, there aren't any waterways nearby," Wynecoop said, expressing gratitude both occupants of the truck escaped injury because they were wearing their seatbelts.
"We have seen time and time again, people flown out with injuries because of not wearing their seatbelts," Wynecoop said. "It's nice when we don't have to provide a next-of-kin notification, because those are always hard."
Transportation spokesman Ryan Overtone said the hydraulic oil still in the tanker was offloaded by Coleman Oil and AgriFix uprighted the tractor-trailer.
The driver said he also had about 170 gallons of fuel in the semi.
"It's basically just mineral oil," he said of the spill. "It's like new motor oil."
A GrayMar Environmental Hazmat Response Team arrived to clean up the spill.
"It's basically just kitty-litter," a crewman said about the SolidSorb granular product being used to soak up the spill.
According to a Department of Transportation spokesperson, crews were cleaning up the scene throughout the night, finishing up around 4 a.m. Friday morning.
Less than 12 hours later, crews were called back to the area, this time to Milepost 78 for another crash.
Frank J. Bailey, 26, hometown not released, was northbound at about 3:32 p.m., his pickup towing a trailer with liquid asphalt tipped over.
Bailey was not injured, a report said, noting the liquid asphalt coated the northbound lanes prompting traffic to be detoured onto the shoulder.
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