Truck driver seriously injured after logging truck overturns in Loachapoka
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- Logging truck overturned near Loachapoka early Monday, trapping driver who was seriously injured and transported to hospital.
- Firefighters from two departments spent under an hour extricating trapped driver; Highway 14 remained closed for log cleanup.
A truck driver suffered significant injuries early Monday morning after a crash involving a logging truck and a passenger vehicle near Loachapoka, according to fire officials.
According to the Southwest Fire Department, crews were dispatched at approximately 2:26 a.m. on June 8 to a reported motor vehicle accident near the intersection of Alabama Highway 14 and Lee County Road 188.
Officials said the crash involved an 18-wheeler carrying a load of logs and a single passenger vehicle. The impact caused the logging truck to overturn, spilling its load across the roadway. The truck driver became trapped inside the cab following the crash.
Southwest Fire requested mutual aid assistance from the Auburn Fire Department, which responded with additional personnel and equipment. Firefighters from both departments worked for just under an hour to extricate the trapped driver from the wreckage.
In addition to the rescue operation, crews worked to contain a sizable fluid spill resulting from the crash.
The truck driver was transported by East Alabama Emergency Transport Services to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus, Georgia, with significant injuries. Authorities said the driver of the passenger vehicle was not injured.
The crash also caused major traffic disruptions. As of 11 a.m. Monday, highway crews were still working to clear the spilled logs from the roadway, leaving Alabama Highway 14 closed in the area.
Agencies responding to the scene included Southwest Fire Department, Auburn Fire Department, East Alabama ETS, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Lee County Emergency Management Agency and the Lee County Highway Department.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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