UPDATE: One cited in Hwy. 10 East crash after falling asleep behind the wheel
This story was originally published on April 12 but was updated with additional information on April 13.
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By Brandi Makuski
One man was transported to the hospital after crashing his semi-truck about 80 yards off-road and into the woods Friday on Hwy. 10 East near Algoma St.
First Responders were called to the 5900 block of Algoma St. in Hull at 8:10 a.m. on April 12 when a 911 caller reported the westbound truck, owned by Merrill-based Tri Hi Transportation Inc., had left the road and come to a stop in the trees on the north side of Hwy. 10.
Hull Fire Chief Ken Sadogierski said the truck did not strike any buildings or other property, and no one but the motorist was injured.
An ambulance from the Stevens Point Fire Department also responded to the scene. Battalion Chief Brandon Hageman said the victim was an 82-year-old man who was transported to Aspirus Stevens Point with non-life-threatening injuries.
Sadogierski estimated about 75 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from the truck’s fuel tanks, into a lower area of conservancy near Parkdale Park near the east side of Stevens Point, so he called the hazmat team from the Plover Fire Department.
“We contained the spill, and that’s all we can do on a scene like this,” said Plover Fire Chief Mark Deaver. “[The company] will have to have remediation done, where they have a company that’ll have to come in and dig up all the dirt; they’ll dig until all the dirt with the diesel is gone.”
PFD used a collapsible pool to capture the fuel leaking out, and plugged the holes in the tank with an epoxy, Deaver said. Tri Hi would need to send additional details about the fuel and the truck to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The information is then forwarded to the Portage Co. Local Emergency Planning Committee for documentation, he said.
Sadogierski said he had seven Hull firefighters on the scene with him, helping remove several trees that had fallen onto the truck so they could access the fuel tanks. Adams Towing would pump the rest of the fuel from the tank, he added.
The truck was hauling cheese, Sadogierski said, but he did not know the truck’s origin or destination. He did say that the company was sending another truck to offload the product.
Firefighters finally left the scene shortly after noon on Friday. Adams Towing also planned to separate the cab from the trailer so the two pieces of the semi could be removed Friday after rush hour traffic.
Sgt. Jon Pedersen from the Wisconsin State Patrol said the motorist was cited for inattentive driving.
During a follow-up interview on Saturday, Pederson said the man fell asleep behind the wheel, and suffered injuries to his hands and head.
