June 7th, 2010 | 
Author: CHARLTON, MA – A semi trailer truck hauling a cargo of baking flour overturned Friday morning, May 28, 2010, on a highway in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The truck accident happened on the Massachusetts Turnpike near the town of Charlton and created major traffic delays at the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend travel rush. The accident area is in the south central section of the state, southwest of the Worchester metro region, about 50 miles northeast of Hartford, Connecticut and about 53 miles west of Boston.
Traffic on the eastbound MA Turnpike came to a standstill immediately after the truck accident. A short time later local police opened up one lane while crews worked to clear the flour and truck.
At about 6:00 a.m. 59 year old Fred Schmigel of Buskirk, New York was driving a semi trailer truck east on the Massachusetts Turnpike, hauling a cargo of baking flour. The truck was carrying about 48,000 pounds of flour packed in bags.
As the 18 wheeler drove through the area near the Charlton Plaza near mile marker 86 it was hit by metal debris that became dislodged from another truck on the highway. The other truck, driven by 49 year old Joseph Tamburino of Oakville, Connecticut, is owned by Ryder and at the time was leased to the Pennsylvania Steel Company, based in Bensalem, PA.
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The piece of metal debris damaged one of the flour truck’s tires and it went flat, and the truck driver lost control of his rig. The semi trailer truck swerved off the highway, tipped, overturned, and fell onto the center median. The trailer section broke open due to the impact of the rollover truck accident and part of its load of flour spilled out onto the turnpike.
Local emergency personnel responded to the truck accident and treated Mr. Schmigel, the driver of the flour truck. After he was stabilized he was transported to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worchester. His injuries are reported minor and not life threatening.
Mr. Tamburino, the driver of the truck that lost the debris, stopped after the truck accident and spoke with local police. He was not injured, and no other persons or vehicles were involved in the rollover accident.
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Traffic on the eastbound MA Turnpike came to a standstill immediately after the truck accident. A short time later local police opened up one lane while highway crews worked to clear the flour and overturned semi truck. Another truck was brought in and the bags of baking flour were off-loaded from the disabled truck and transferred to the second semi trailer while a small bucket loader cleared the loose flour from the road.
The turnpike was limited to one eastbound for hours, backing up traffic for 8 miles Friday morning as many area residents were headed off for the long holiday weekend. Police were rerouting vehicles to Route 20 and Interstate 84, which quickly became backed up with the additional traffic.
The Massachusetts State Police Truck Team was at the scene and investigated the truck accident. They cited the company responsible for the truck that lost the debris, the Pennsylvania Steel Company, for having an unsecured load.
For more information about Massachusetts trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact nationwide truck accident lawyers Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP for expert advice. For a free initial consultation, talk to a MA truck accident lawyer at 800.773.6770.
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