Semi tips over and dumps valuable cargo on Whatcom roadway, closes road for 6 hours
A semi carrying lumber overturned Wednesday morning north of Lynden, forcing the closeure of East Badger Road in both directions for more than six hours while crews cleared the road.
“Commercial Vehicle hauling gold tips over! Okay it’s actually hauling wood but it costs about the same these days,” a tweet on Trooper Rocky Oliphant’s account stated — tongue firmly implanted in cheek and referencing a shortage of lumber to feed a hot new housing market.
The tweet reported that the crash was near Vinup Road, and that no other vehicles were struck. Troopers added that the driver of the semi was the sole occupant and was uninjured.
No impairment was suspected, according to the tweet. The preliminary cause for the crash was determined to be the trailer drifting off the road and the driver over correcting, Trooper Anthony Reese told The Bellingham Herald.
“Please avoid the area as it will be an extended ETA for reopening while waiting for tows for the truck and trailer,” Oliphant’s tweet continued. “And the answer you all were waiting for, I apologize but no the wood will not be left behind either.”
A follow up release by the Washington State Department of Transportation said East Badger Road is closed between Vinup and Line roads, and no estimated time for reopening was available.
A Washington State Department of Transportation tweet at 3:16 p.m. said the road was expected to be closed for “a couple hours or more.” It wasn’t until 6:01 p.m. that WSDOT reported that East Badger Road had reopened.
Lynden and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue crews responded to the incident at 11:16 a.m., but were only on scene for about a half hour, according to the PulsePoint app.
This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 1:16 PM.
