Drivers escape injury in big-rig collision

Vanessa Goodwyn

Reportedly failing to notice a work envoy striping the newly resurfaced highway, a UPS driver collided with the unit and jack-knifed into the guard rail. The 18-wheeler driver received only minor cuts on his knuckles, and the driver of the work truck was taken to Madisonville with minor injuries. Re-surfacing crews have been working on I-45 and the additional slow-moving vehicles on the interstate apparently factored into a big rig collision on Tuesday afternoon, June 1.

A work envoy driven by Marcus Woodard was striping the southbound lanes of I-45 several miles south of Buffalo. According to DPS Trooper Gaskin, a UPS tractor-trailer driver, Gerald Sobecky, failed to see the work envoy, struck it and jack-knifed his rig, coming to rest against the interior guard rail which separates northand southbound traffic.

A second 18-wheeler hit debris in the roadway but driver Brian Taylor, Jr. swerved to the right and managed to avoid the other vehicles. His rig ended up jack-knifed into the bar ditch. The UPS tractor/ trailer unit received extensive damage, but the drivers escaped serious injury. Woodard sustained minor injuries and was transported to St. Joseph/ Madisonville by Legacy EMS.

DPS troopers Kevin Gaskin and Mike Asby were assisted by Madison County DPS troopers. Buffalo and Jewett VFD units responded to the accident. Traffic was delayed for several hours as the jack-knifed rigs and EMS crews filled the highway.