A semi trucking accident in Dauphin County, PA, could have ended a lot worse than it did. On Monday, June 25, a truck driving through Dauphin county in the afternoon drove over a concrete barrier and ended up in the nearby Susquehanna River.
The crash took place along PA’s Route 22/322 eastbound, in Middle Paxton Township and just east of a nearby railroad bridge.
The truck was on the shoulder of the 22/322 eastbound lanes when the driver lost control of the vehicle. In the skid, he overturned his truck and went tumbling over the concrete barrier and down the side of the highway. The fall flipped the truck several times before it landed in the river and came to a stop.
Other cab drivers pulled over as they saw the accident and went down the hill to help the crashed driver out of his truck. From there he was taken to a nearby hospital. His injuries were apparently not severe, as he was treated for bumps and bruises and then was presumably released.
Apparently, the truck was carrying a shipment of Cherry Poptarts. There is no cause yet reported for the accident, though police are presumably investigating.
No one else was hurt in the accident.
What this incident illustrates, once again, is that semi trucks are large and unstable by nature. They are far harder to control than a traditionally sized vehicle, and can overturn in many circumstances. The driver could easily have been killed in a tumble like the one he took. Similarly, other drivers were put at risk by the wreck – the fact that he tumbled over the side without hurting anyone else after driving on the shoulder is a small miracle.
Police say they are not releasing the name of the driver at this time. Recovery crews had to bring in heavy lifting equipment, including a crane, to get the truck out of the water.
