Semi spills lumber on Highway 14 in Skamania County
By Paul Suarez, Dave Kern
Published: April 29, 2012, 5:00pm
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A semi with double flatbed trailers went on its side and dumped a load of lumber on state Highway 14 in Skamania County on Sunday night.
The single-vehicle crash happened just after 6 p.m. five miles east of Washougal on Highway 14 at Belle Center Road, according to a Washington State Patrol memo.
Kenneth D. Hust, 24, of Rock Springs, Wyo., was driving too fast for conditions while approaching a curve when his load shifted and the semi blew a tire, state patrol said. The semi and two trailers rolled and skidded into the jersey barrier, blocking the road.
Hust was uninjured after the crash and was cited for speeding, failure to secure a load and defective tires, state patrol said.
“It was a big mess,” said Trooper Ryan Tanner, state patrol spokesman. He was not on scene, but has seen a few similar crashes on that stretch of road.
Westbound traffic was temporarily diverted off Highway 14 onto Salmon Falls Road, Tanner said. Crews were able to flag traffic through on Highway 14 after about 30 minutes.
TLC Towing, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, Washington Department of Transportation and the Department of Ecology responded.
The scene was completely cleared at 3 a.m. Monday, Tanner said.
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