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Tractor-Trailer Crash Impacts Turnpike Traffic In Irwin

IRWIN (KDKA) - A tractor-trailer overturned in Westmoreland County, which had a significant impact on Turnpike traffic Tuesday morning.

According to officials, the accident happened on the off-ramp of the westbound Irwin exit around 5 a.m.

It took crews over five hours to reopen both the on and off-ramps of the Irwin Interchange.

When the truck overturned, it spilled drywall spackling compound onto the road. Fire officials believe the truck failed to negotiate a turn.

"It flipped over and went straight into the jersey barrier dumping a whole load of spackling onto the roadway," Strawpump Fire Department Assistant Chief Ryan Senica said.

Fire officials estimate 200-300 five-gallon buckets of drywall mud spilled onto the road.

"Right now, the towing company is handling most of it. They're just picking up the buckets. We're going to hopefully get a front-end loader to scrape the roadway then, hopefully wash it away," Senica said.

Multiple fire crews responded to the crash and helped to free the driver.

"We had to use hydraulic tools to pop the door open. He was a little bit pinned by the steering wheel. We were able to wiggle him out a little bit," Senica said.

While it's unclear if the truck driver was going too fast around the turn, officials want to remind all drivers to slow down.

"We've had at least three this year that I've been on that were tractor-trailers overturned right here," Senica said.

The driver of the truck was taken to Forbes Regional Hospital and was last listed in stable condition.

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