Press release and Staff report
news@wbcowqel.com
Westbound traffic on U.S. 30 had to find alternate routes to get to their destination for a brief period Wednesday afternoon after a semi-truck had tipped over due to the high winds.
At 2:47 p.m. Crawford County Sheriff’s Deputies investigated a single vehicle non-injury rollover accident on US 30 east of County Road 330 in Whetstone Twp. James Bohland, 42, North Royalton, Ohio, was found to be the operator of a 2017 Freightliner that was pulling a 53-foot box trailer containing a small volume of mail.
Due to the mass of the box trailer and lack of weight combined with the sustained winds of 20 to 30 MPH and gusts reaching in excess of 50 MPH, the 53-foot trailer was lifted in the air which in turn lifted the Freightliner forcing them both to roll onto the passenger side. The vehicle came to rest completely blocking both westbound lanes on US 30. Traffic was detoured at SR 602 until the scene was clear.
Emergency assistance was provided by Whetstone Twp. Volunteer Fire Department, Life Support Team and ODOT. The vehicle was removed from the scene by Bloomfield Towing and Knecht’s Auto Recycling. A reminder to motorists, please be aware of your surroundings, allow extra time for your travels and use extra precautions when traveling in inclement weather.