March 15th, 2010 | 
Author: JACKSON, MS – Morning commuter traffic was stalled for hours last Thursday after a jackknife truck accident in the state capital of Mississippi. The single truck accident happened on Interstate 55, between Woodrow Wilson Avenue and Lakeland Drive in Jackson, MS. The area is in the central section of the state, 209 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee and 187 miles north of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Emergency personnel from Jackson responded to the scene of the single truck collision. The truck driver was stabilized and then transported to nearby St. Dominic Hospital.
At around 2:00 a.m. Thursday morning, March 11th, a truck driver for G & C Trucking was headed southbound on Interstate 55, hauling a load of boxed frozen chickens. G & C Trucking is based out of Forest, MS. It was raining hard at the time, and the road surfaces were wet and slippery.
As the truck driver drove on the interstate he apparently lost control of his tractor trailer truck in the area between Woodrow Wilson Avenue and Lakeland Drive. The truck driver later reported to authorities that as he came around a curve he noticed the trailer on his 18 wheeler was sliding on the highway.
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The semi truck then jackknifed and overturned on the interstate. The impact of the truck accident broke the trailer in two and ruptured one of the fuel tanks, spilling about 100 gallons of diesel fuel onto the highway.
Emergency personnel from Jackson responded to the scene of the single truck collision. The truck driver was stabilized at the scene and then transported to nearby St. Dominic Hospital. Authorities report that he was treated for minor injuries and later released. No other vehicles were involved in the truck accident and the truck driver was the only person who suffered injuries.
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Mississippi Department of Transportation was at the scene and closed down the southbound lanes of I-55 in the vicinity of the truck accident between Lakeland Dr. and Woodrow Wilson Ave. The southbound lanes would remain closed for hours, impacting the morning commuter rush. Drivers were advised to avoid the interstate and were diverted through the streets of Jackson.
MDOT authorities reconstructed the truck collision while highway crews worked to transfer the 80,000 pounds of frozen chicken from the overturned tractor trailer to another truck. Once the disabled semi truck was emptied it was towed off the interstate. This would take hours as the wreckage of the trailer had split in two during the truck accident.
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The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality also responded to the scene to clean up the gallons of spilled diesel fuel, and spread sand on the road surface. Drivers were warned to drive with caution through the area as there could be some slick spots.
The interstate eventually reopened at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
No charges have been made at this time. Authorities believe the rainy weather was a factor in the truck accident and their investigation remains open.
For more information about Mississippi trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact an experienced Mississippi truck accident lawyer. For a free initial consultation, contact a nationwide truck accident attorney at Gordon, Elias & Seely LLP, for expert advise.
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