Crash brings traffic to a halt on 5th Street
An 18-wheeler that crashed and overturned at the foot of Fifth Street in Eureka spurred the closure of several blocks to clear the scene. The incident occurred near the Best Western at the foot of Fifth Street near Broadway.
The street would be closed for at least an hour while the 18-wheeler was being turned over and removed from the street, Amy Conlin, a spokesperson for Humboldt Bay Fire, told the Times-Standard.
The actual length of time it would take was dependent on how long it would take for “them to get a truck out to roll it over,” Conlin said.
Humboldt Bay Fire crews arrived at the scene just before noon in response to a call about a driver trapped in an overturned 18-wheeler, according to a Humboldt Bay Fire press release. The driver’s door had been pinned to the road and the driver was being extricated from the vehicle by bystanders when the fire department and ambulance arrived.
“Through bystander, EMS and fire personnel, they were able to extricate him through the windshield,” Conlin said.
The driver had minor injuries and got some initial treatment from City Ambulance at the scene, but refused further treatment and transport to the hospital, Conlin said.
“Humboldt Bay Fire deployed Hydrocarbon booms to mitigate any risk of leaking material from the vehicle or its contents, although no such leaks occurred,” the press release stated.
The 18-wheeler had product in it, but it was nonexplosive and nonthreatening to the environment, Conlin said.
This is the first week there’s been rain in a while, making the road extra slippery and bends like the one on Fifth Street, where the accident occurred, more dangerous, Conlin said.
“We know with first rains come oil,” Conlin said.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the collision was caused by the rain, Conlin said, but it’s a good reminder to be careful and drive slowly when approaching those kinds of bends.
The cause of the collision will be further investigated by the Eureka Police Department, Conlin said.