Semi rolls onto its side, dumps telephone poles onto Minersville Highway

CEDAR CITY — A semitractor-trailer transporting telephone poles rolled onto its side Thursday afternoon on Minersville Highway.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Ryan Bauer told Cedar City News the truck was making a left turn onto 2400 North from Minersville Highway near Interstate 15 Exit 62. 

“What we know now is he was just making a turn to come onto this street from the center lane, and the load shifts, the weight starts to shift, and it pulled him over,” Bauer said. 

Bauer said the weight of the telephone poles shifting to one side is likely what caused the truck to roll onto its side. 

“Sometimes if the speed or the sharpness of the corner causes the weight to shift too much, it just shifts that weight all to one side and it can tip them right over,” Bauer said. 

Utah Highway Patrol troopers, Cedar City Police officers, Iron County Sheriff’s deputies and Cedar City firefighters responded to the scene. 

Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips told Cedar City News firefighters were helping clean up fluids that were leaking from the truck to help keep other vehicles safe. 

“It’s motor oil, diesel fuel and antifreeze that’s leaking out of the truck,” Phillips said. “These damns we built to slow the flow from coming down. Then we’ll put a bunch of kitty litter down, sweep it all up and then the tow company takes it away.”

No injuries were reported and officials expect to have the scene cleared within a few hours.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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