Semi Hauling Trash Overturns, Ind. 14 Closed During Cleanup
Semi Hauling Trash Overturns, Ind. 14 Closed During Cleanup
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Semi Hauling Trash Overturns, Ind. 14 Closed During CleanupSILVER LAKE – For most of this morning, Ind. 14 close to Packerton Road was closed after a semi-trailer hauling garbage overturned.
Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Don Wiesehan said a call was received at 5:23 a.m. today.
The driver, Garth E. Ellenberger, 66, of Fort Wayne, was on Ind. 14 when he attempted to light a cigarette and the vehicle went off the west side of the road into a ditch. The semi-trailer was upright, with the trailer on the road. When Ellenberger tried to back up the semi, the trailer flipped on its side.
Ind. 14 was still closed as of about 10 a.m. today and Wiesehan estimated it would be closed until about lunch today so the garbage could be cleaned up.
“He dumped it pretty good,” he said.
While he didn’t know where the garbage was being taken, Wiesehan said the trailer was out of Illinois. It was just “regular” garbage and did not contain any hazardous material.
No injuries were reported and the semi-trailer was the only vehicle involved in the incident.
Wiesehan estimated the clean-up cost combined with the damage to the vehicle could be as much as $50,000.
Assisting the KCSD were the Claypool and Silver Lake police departments, Silver Lake Fire Department, Crouse Body Shop and the Indiana Highway Department. G & G Hauling & Excavating provided offloading and will haul the garbage.
