Published: May 02, 2007 12:22 am         

Cleaning up a mess

Accident involving dump truck full of coal closes Route 19

RIVESVILLE — U.S. Route 19 was closed for at least three hours Tuesday following an unusual accident involving a dump truck full of coal.

West Virginia State Police Senior Trooper J.G. Baker said no one was injured when the dump truck overturned Tuesday morning. However, the road was closed to traffic for several hours while crews cleaned up the mess.

According to Baker, the truck was traveling south on U.S. Route 19 when the bed began to rise. Baker said the driver reportedly did not realize his truck was preparing to dump the load of coal.

When the driver made a turn, the truck tipped, leaving a mess of coal behind, he said.

“He said he didn’t know the truck was dumping,” Baker said. “A guy behind him tried to radio him, but it was too late and he had flipped.”

Summers Towing and Repairs of Morgantown was called to set the truck on its wheels again, Baker said. Crews from the West Virginia Department of Highways and Summers worked for several hours to clean up the coal, he said.

Baker said the driver, Jeff Stilwell of Waynesburg, Pa., had picked up a load of coal from an unidentified mine and had a full load at the time of the incident. Baker said it was not clear where Stilwell was taking the coal.

The truck’s owner is listed as Theodore R. Smith of Smithfield, Pa., Baker said.

E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.

     

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