Hwy. 20 Blocked, Dec. 16

A truck driver was not injured after the commercial truck he was driving rolled over, dumping several bales of cardboard and blocking Highway 20 near Eddyville for several hours. Oregon State Police (OSP) is continuing the investigation. On December 12, 2013 at approximately 5:34 p.m., a Freightliner truck pulling a flatbed trailer driven by DONALD BUMGARDNER, age 71, from Lebanon, was westbound on Highway 20 near milepost 21. According to BUMGARDNER, an unidentified vehicle coming in the opposite direction was on the centerline causing him to drive toward the right where his tires went off the pavement and onto the soft shoulder. He wasn’t able to bring the truck and trailer back to the traffic lane as they continued into a drainage ditch for nearly 300 feet before colliding with a rock wall. The truck and trailer then came back onto the highway and rolled onto their side before coming to rest blocking the highway. Several bales of cardboard spilled and a small fork life came off the trailer. The truck came to rest next to railroad tracks that parallel the road. The railroad company was notified and train traffic stopped until the truck was removed. OSP was assisted at the scene by Toledo Fire Department, ODOT and a hazardous material company to clean up a diesel fuel spill from the truck. Highway 20 was completely blocked for two hours before one lane was open. All lanes were open around 3:00 a.m.