Trucker seriously injured when tractor-trailer rolls over on Elliott Highway
Originally published Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 1:05 p.m.
Updated Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 11:24 p.m.
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Stumble It!A tractor trailer hauling more than two tons of cleaning solvent crashed and rolled down a steep embankment on the Elliott Highway late Saturday morning, Alaska State Troopers reported.
The truck’s driver, who troopers say sustained serious — but not life-threatening — injuries, was airlifted to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
The tractor-trailer truck — the only vehicle involved in the accident — was towing 4,500 pounds of cleaning solvent north on the highway prior to the accident, according to a news post from troopers in Fairbanks.
The trailer’s tank had stout, doubled walls created for hauling solvent and other solvents, said Leslie Pearson, who directs the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s spill-response program. As a result, as little as a quart of the solvent spilled during the crash, she said.
“In this situation, there was really not much of a loss considering the type of the accident itself and where it occurred,” she said. State workers removed a small amount of soil from the site, which is located four miles north of a trans-Alaska oil pipeline pump station, and will return this week for followup work, she said.
On Sunday morning, Troopers reported the state is investigating the crash and has yet to determine a cause.
The rollover occurred at milepost 44 on the highway, which runs between Fox and Manley Hot Springs. Troopers reported the driver, 45-year-old Fairbanks resident Robert Pennick, of the trucking company Alaska West Express, was driving north when he lost control of the truck on a downhill grade and sharp curve. The truck and trailer then “careened” across the highway and tipped over onto its side before sliding through 150 feet of guardrail and rolling down an embankment on the west side of the road, according to the report.
Workers from the state Environmental Conservation and Transportation departments responded to the scene along with troopers and security officers for Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.
A few gallons of diesel fuel spilled late Saturday night as work crews tried to upright the truck and return it to the road, trooper Sgt. Brian Wassmann said Sunday.
“It was mostly involving the recovery, trying to get this thing back out of the ditch,” he said.
Troopers estimate the truck and trailer sustained $100,000 in damage. The guard rail was damaged to the tune of $25,000, they said.
Community Discussion
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On the bright side, he's very clean.
You're sick Preston. The man sustained "serious injuries" and you make a joke. Extremely tasteless and thoughtless. I hope his family doesn't read this. You should be ashamed of yourself. Let'shope the serious injuries do not become fatal. Prayers are needed, not jokes.
Sorry Oldcuss, I did chuckle at that. Of course I hope the driver recovers and my prayers go out to him and his family. But it was still a good joke.
It was a little beyond normal, cuss, but I do feel for the guy and hope he gets better, especially reading that story in the business section about truckers suffering from financial problems. When there's nothing I can do about something, the least I can do is crack jokes to make everyone else feel better.
Not a laughing matter. The guy is on life support in the hospital & someone is trying to decide whether or not to pull the plug as I type.
Sorry to the family for the insensitive comment. We prayed for theman in church today & I hope that through some miracle he may be able to recover.
A while back there was a story about the dragging death/DUI case that happened downtown. Preston_Lancashire left a comment that said, in full, "What a drag." He has no class.
Preston - I wish I'd had you around when my family died, even warped humor is better than any alternative. I do feel for the man's family and hope that they find their own peace in the situation, God is going to do what she is going to do. No matter how many tears are shed, that won't change and time is precious, laugh even at the stupid stuff if its funny.
Good attitude, Made_In_Alaska.
When the fourth of my four family-of-origin members died, amidst unresolved conflict, and a severely cynical and depleted attitude, I remarked, "Well, on the bright side, Christmas shopping just got less expensive..."
Some didn't understand the 'gallows humor' at that time, but sometimes humor's the better choice, in contrast to despair.
I was told that the final statement from the pilot of Flight 261, over the flight crew's com, was, "Point your toes, boys; we're goin' in deep." Someone I know who worked on aircraft told me that. I don't know that to be the truth, but it fits.
Sometimes surrender to fate involves a shrug and some humor, along with dignity.
Of course, in my family's deaths, it was, after all, -my- family, and so I wasn't necessarily crossing any boundaries to use gallows humor as part of ballancing the reality.. At the same time, I likely wouldn't have said what I did in front of their children, either.
Place and time.. Context, reverence, & respect.
Dirk: Yes. The crucial difference is that, in your examples, the person making the joke was sharing the pain.
I would like to know how gas spilled out of a diesel truck? Hope the driver is doing OK.
THIS MAN IS A DEAR FRIEND TO MY HUSBAND? ALSO A TRUCKER. LETS HAVE SOME RESPECT HERE. THESE MEN AND WOMEN RISK THERE LIFES EVERY TIME. THEY TRAVEL THIS GOD ALLFULL HWY. JOKES R NOT IT WAS BAD TASTE TO SAY THE LEAST.FRIENDS LIKE US R U UPSET TO SO CALL LAUGH ABOUGHT IT. KEEP THAT IN MIND. NEXT TIME CRACK A JOKE AT YOUR ON EXSPENCE. JUST THINK WERE WE WOULD BE WITHOUT THOSE WONDERFULL PEOPLE TAKEING CARE OF EVERY DAY. GOD LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE. PROUD WIFE OF THE DALTON HWY TRUCKERS ,
OUR FRIEND IS OK THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS NO LIFE SUPPORT NEEDED.HES AROUND TO BLESS US ONE MORE DAY AS A GOOD FRIEND.
Alaska west trucks drive verry fast up and down the dalton hwy. too fast.Remember last november when another one of their trucks killed a sourdough express driver? I think the company pushes their drivers to do it. Maybe some day they will learn to respect the road and other drivers instead of thinking the road is owned by alaska west!
without trucks, America stops.
Without oil truckers stop.
P3T: Without THESE trucks, the oil stops.
I suspect the light load may have played a role in the incident. In any event, it's good that the driver is doing okay.
Good thing they didn't make a hasty decision to remove life support!
"....THIS MAN IS A DEAR FRIEND TO MY HUSBAND? ALSO A TRUCKER. LETS HAVE SOME RESPECT HERE. THESE MEN AND WOMEN RISK THERE LIFES EVERY TIME. THEY TRAVEL THIS GOD ALLFULL HWY. JOKES R NOT IT WAS BAD TASTE TO SAY "....THE LEAST.FRIENDS LIKE US R U UPSET TO SO CALL LAUGH ABOUGHT IT. KEEP THAT IN MIND. NEXT TIME CRACK A JOKE AT YOUR ON EXSPENCE. JUST THINK WERE WE WOULD BE WITHOUT THOSE WONDERFULL PEOPLE TAKEING CARE OF EVERY DAY. GOD LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE. PROUD WIFE OF THE DALTON HWY TRUCKERS..."
Public education is awesome!!
Years ago a friend of mine spent quite a bit of time helping me on a building project. I was slated to help him build his house the next summer, but the week before he poured his foundation I was in a severe accident that nearly cost me my life. My buddy showed up at my hospital bed and said "So this is how you get out of helping me." It was the first laugh I'd had after my accident (and just laughing right then brought ripples of pain). I've always appreciated his putting a humorous spin on a very difficult moment when my body was broken in multiple places. I needed that.
That said, it's best to confine these types of comments to those we know, and know will have the humor to take them well. My thoughts go out to Mr. Pennick and his family and friends. I hope the reports that he will recover are accurate. Truck drivers keep us all going.
If someone could get this message to Mr. Pennick: "I'll put a nickel in the jukebox, and play that Truck Drivin' Man."
"Public education is awesome!!"
You know what else is awesome, SDOOWNEK? Knowing when to keep your mouth shut.
too funny - - -
how come EVERY job in alaska is a life or death one....
someone makes a comment and 'these guys risk their lives, etc etc etc'
Ive heard the same arguement on these blogs now for just about every job that has been mentioned...it makes it easy to argue against someone when you bring emotion into it!
People choose the jobs, people make the decision based on money or perception or whatever...but they still make the choice....
Get a grip -
I used to truck the 'haul road'-never felt like I was risking my life to save the world. I'm no different than a South Cushman hooker-do anything for a few bucks.
As for the driver-wish ya well, my man.
Ever hear of the healing power of laughter?-Jack Nicholson
haven't been up the haul road for a few years now, but the last time i make the trip the stretch form 28 mile elliott to the taps was newly paved and the road surface was great. however the supers of the curves had not been changed, and you can get into trouble if you attempt them at much over the posted speed. it ain't no race track, slow down and enjoy the ride.
Get well soon. Did you all miss the realy funny part of this story?
The ADEC will return next week for follow up on the "spill". "a quart of the solvent spilled during the crash" sure glad it was not a gallon or they would be there all month.
.....25 gallons of fuel spilled.
julyrain- just walking outside to cross the street is a life risk these days.
However I don't dismiss the danger of truckers jobs, and I do hope the man recovers.
News Miner removed the mistake about spilling 25 gallons of gas.
Sdoownek is right: Troopers told me around 25 gallons of diesel spilled and almost no solvent. The detail about the diesel was inadvertently left out of the story's final draft.
"Bedasse 6/1/2008, 11:48 p.m. Suggest removal "Public education is awesome!!"
You know what else is awesome, SDOOWNEK? Knowing when to keep your mouth shut."
Come on, we were all thinking it. SDOOWNEK was just the only one with the trucknutz to say it.
Chris did your first draft not have 25 gallons of gas spilled?
Ocents: I wrote a quick story for the Internet on Sunday when we learned about the crash. That "short" version included the detail about 25 gallons of fuel. I then rewrote a longer story for today's newspaper and Web site, yet I failed to include the detail in my rewrite. Hope that makes sense.
I am curious to know, from those who understand rail transport: What would prevent the North Slope corporations from using rail lines to transport their goods? Is such a thing economically feasible? Are there cold-weather conditions that would prevent it?
When I read a statement like "without trucks, America stops", I think that, a century ago, they would have said instead, "without trains, America stops."
Could rail gain us any safety? Could it gain us any economy? Could the human toll in casualties to and from the North Slope be lessened? I suspect so but really don't know.
Hard facts and educated opinions are welcome.
Paul, I have driven the road numerous times & rail probably isn't a great option. The permafrost is a huge issue, you can still the remnant of melting from where the Hickel Highway was at it's Dalton intersection. Many of the issues the Haul Rd has are because of the permafrost, though not all. With the price of metals now, I am also not sure of the economic feasibility. The only reason the road stays drivable is due to constant upkeep (some are better than others) of the DOT crews alongside the road. Any other form of ground based transportation would be as equally problematic.
sorry, should have read: economic feasibility of rail in a remote location.
People, this a comment section for news paper articles and editorials. The comments are written from all walks of life and from different perspectives, does anyone here actually believe that everyone will answer or comment with a certain respect or opinion? Give me a break...I read and write here for entertainment purposes only. If you want to get serious, write a book with Ken Woods on why the earth is round...see who reads it then...
akprincess, I had the same thought as you -- that permafrost could post a problem and potentially buckle the tracks as it thaws and refreezes, thus shifting the ballast -- but couldn't the tracks be elevated a foot or so off the ground, as was done with the pipeline?
Chris You should have started a new post, instead of changing your first.
I read gas spilled from your first post.
Posted from above by blue5011
“I would like to know how gas spilled out of a diesel truck? Hope the driver is doing OK.”
Blue5011 was asking you how gas spilled out of a diesel truck.
Most people know that truckers us diesel not gas.
Preston, elevated tracks as in totally elevated or raised bed? Shifting could still cause trouble. Also migratory problems could arise. There are certain areas where the haul & TAPS diverge paths or TAPS is buried. In some areas that occurs (along with many other reasons) so that the caribou migration isn't disturbed. I was told it was because the caribou would turn back from double "boundaries" that were perceived as too close together, again it is what I was told & could be wrong. In a lot of areas I can see it being a gorgeous trip, but Atigun could definitely be a problem. To extend into other areas with less grade would move the Dall Sheep. Ground blizzards can be another problem once you drop out of the Brooks & get past PS2.
Once again this is just the musings of someone familiar with the area & road. There are possibly & likely excellent answers to all my questions, but not knowing them myself, these would be big concerns.
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