Overturned Tractor Trailer Shut Down Road, Rail Traffic In South Hills
WEST MIFFLIN (KDKA) -- A major crash involving an overturned vehicle temporarily shut down a busy road, as well as railroad traffic, in the South Hills this afternoon.
According to Allegheny County, the tractor trailer overturned near railroad tracks just before noon in the 1600 block of Streets Run Road.
A McClymonds Trucking Company tractor trailer had just left Tube City and was making its way down Streets Run Road to the railroad crossing at Prospect Road. As he turned the wheel, driver Chuck Adams told police he felt the heavy load of steel he was carrying shift and then next thing he knew, the truck was on its side lying across the railroad tracks.
Streets Run closed due to Truck overturning on the RR tracks at Prospect Rd. Should reopen before the PM rush. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/uLlSVBTZ96
— John Shumway (@KDKAShumway) February 25, 2020
Police say the load of steel in this truck shifted sending it onto its side on the curve across the tracks. No injuries. The race is on to reopen the road before The school buses roll on Streets Run and Prospect Road. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/CTqQaefDij
— John Shumway (@KDKAShumway) February 25, 2020
There was a heavy presence of emergency workers on the scene. A wrecker was being brought in to clear the scene. County officials say they notified the railroad, which stopped traffic on those tracks.
Baldwin Borough: Vehicle crash - 1600 Blk Streets Run Rd; Responders on scene of overturned vehicle on rail road tracks with diesel fuel leaking. Railroad notified to stop traffic in the area. Streets Run will be closed from Prospect to Delwar Rd.
— Allegheny County (@Allegheny_Co) February 25, 2020
The clean up was a tedious process, with bundles of cubed, compressed steel having to be lifted from the tipped-over truck and into another. Each cube was about the weight of a Honda Accord, at or above 3,000 pounds.
Streets Run Road was closed from Prospect to Delwar Roads. Buses from Baldwin-Whitehall School District were on their way home and were prepared to be rerouted.
Baldwin Police Chief Tony Cortazzo says he doesn't believe the driver was going too fast. The driver was not injured.
The crash was cleared a few hours later, with the tractor trailer being uprighted and the road reopened.
Chief Cortazzo and other first responders watched in awe: "They were impressive, the crew that came in here and cleaned it all up was they got us cleaned up a lot quicker than we expected."
