What remains of a cab of a truck after it runs off U.S. 51 near the Centralia Industrial Park Sunday morning. Photo by Brady Toennies.
A 55-year-old Sandoval truck driver was injured in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. 51 just north of Greenview Road on the south side of Centralia Sunday morning.
State Police say Rodney King was traveling southbound on US 51 just north of Greenview Road when he ran off the right side of the road and the tractor-trailer overturned. The tractor came to rest right side up and the trailer came to rest on its side.
Centralia City Firemen say the impact of the crash threw King into the sleeper portion of the tractor. They had to cut out the rear window of the sleeper to get King out.
King was taken to SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was later released.
King apparently had just left the Hawkins Chemical Plant in the Centralia Industrial Park with a tank full of a fertilizer additive that was not hazardous.
The Centralia ESDA helped control traffic that was down to one lane for about five hours after the crash occurred at 10:07 Sunday morning during cleanup and removal of the truck. Centralia and Wamac Police along with Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies also assisted at the scene.
Centralia City Firemen had to cut the driver of the truck out of the rear window of the sleeper portion of the tractor unit. Photo by Brady Toennies.
Semi-truck in its resting place along US 51 after overturning shortly after leaving the Centralia Industrial Park. Photo by Karen Yarbrough.
