Semi Accident In Cantonment Closes Roadway For Hours

August 16, 2010


An overturned semi-truck Monday morning in Cantonment created traffic problems for hours.

The accident happened about 8:30 near Muscogee Road and Taylor Street. The driver of the truck, Jerry N. Howell, 60, of Butler, GA, received only minor injuries. The Florida Highway Patrol said Howell was traveling west on Muscogee Road when the right rear wheels of the trailer ran off the road. The trailer fishtailed and rolled onto its left side.

The roadway was closed until almost 1:00  Monday afternoon. Howell was not charged in connection with the accident. The truck was reportedly hauling paper.

The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the accident.

NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.

Comments

12 Responses to “Semi Accident In Cantonment Closes Roadway For Hours”

  1. TristaLorenzana on August 18th, 2010 8:16 pm

    Me and my Mom were in the trafic behind it all and my mom didn’t know what to do so she went do a road she’s never been down and we have lived around here for years ever sinse I was born and I’m 16!

  2. JW on August 18th, 2010 4:39 am

    He had a mechanical failure from what I was told, part of his steering linkage broke. This in turn cause the truck to swing back and forth on the road resulting in it rolling over.

    DOT, FHP, and ECSO responded. And since he was not ticketed I would assume that the information I received is true.

    However I agree there are a lot of trucks that speed through this area and think that it should be looked into and the speed limits enforced!

  3. Everett on August 18th, 2010 1:03 am

    These little two lane country roads weren’t designed decades ago for semi traffic. There are a lot of bridges on these little roads that can’t handle semi weight. There should be a governing law allowing loaded semi’s for safety purposes to travel on four lane roads like 29 and the interstate. If a wreck like this one occurs you can divert traffic to the open open lane or across the median to the other lanes.
    Most of the semi’s you see on rural roads are using them as a shorter route to their destination. Other reasons are DOT issues with their loads.

    Glad no one was hurt and the driver gets to go home to see his family.

  4. driverswife on August 17th, 2010 4:05 pm

    Jerry was not speeding he had just left the paper mill. He was only going 35 miles an hour through a construction zone, the pavement was ruff. Had never shifted in high gear. Their was a witness, who told the law officers he was not speeding or doing anything wrong. Plain and simple a accident happened. Just thankful that no one else was involved.

  5. Mr. Pro. on August 16th, 2010 9:26 pm

    Accidents are caused by Two factors:
    1. Human error.
    2. Mechanical failure.
    What has been the conclusion of this accident. After all it is called an ACCIDENT. OOPs

  6. Bob on August 16th, 2010 6:49 pm

    Okay… Let me put this simple terms.. Large Truck with trailer behind it, does not stop on a dime, can not slow down for people that decide to jump in front of it and then turn suddenly and get upset at the Rig for laying on its horn. Has no room on the road for people who are texting, not watching a turn and go wide. These rigs are heavy, if we go off the road ever so slightly… it is a scary experience.

    So PLEASE.. If you think yo can do it better. Please go get your CDL & join us operators…

    If not, give us the respect, the room and we can all make the roads a better place.
    May God Bless Mr Howell,,

  7. Family Member on August 16th, 2010 5:53 pm

    This is my uncle and NO HE WASNT SPEEDING!!! Before you judge someone get your facts straight. He is a very safe driver and always has been, but hello sometimes accidents happen!!! Uncle Jerry I pray that you are ok and have a speedy recovery!!!

  8. justme on August 16th, 2010 4:26 pm

    i so agree with concerned mother!!!!!

    my father n law has been driving big trucks for over 40 years…NEVER once had a speeding tick or an accident…why?? he follows the road rules!!

    if you see a truck speeding get the name and number off the cab and call the company and report them..WHAT A CONCEPT……might just save a life, including your own

  9. Buddy on August 16th, 2010 4:23 pm

    I can’t help but be amused at the semi hysterical (pun intended) comments of so many uninformed people every time there is a wreck involving a tractor trailer. I have been a professional driver for over thirty years and have driven more that 1 million miles without a chargeable accident and have seen and driven in all kinds of conditions. Yes there are bad truck drivers out there but I can promise you that they will not last long. Insurance rates and liability lawsuits as well as much stricter rules and regulations for drivers have,thankfully,forced companys to hire people who are much more qualified than the average driver. It doesn’t take but one reckless driving citation to cause a CDL holder to lose his or her license and with a DUI or something similar you are pretty much out of trucking altogether. So while we’re not perfect we are a much more professional group of people than some would like to give us credit for and most of us obey the law to the best of our ability. No one is perfect but taken as a whole truckers are a decent,law abiding,safety minded group of hardworking people.

  10. Concerned mother on August 16th, 2010 3:48 pm

    YOU DONT EVEN KNOW IF HE WAS SPEEDING!!! Please for your sake quit judging someone because of what you saw someone else doing. And besides you have never went over the speed limit. Just be greatful no one was hurt and quit being so judgemental.
    I am glad no one was hurt in this.

  11. interested reader on August 16th, 2010 12:05 pm

    Well, I guess that ruined his day. I agree that semis, log trucks, chip trucks, paperwood trucks and just about any 18 wheeler drives WAY over the speed limit. You hardly ever see one stopped but you see them in your rear view mirror bearing down on you on hwy. 29 all the time. It really does not matter what the speed limit is as they totally ignore it. Same goes for hwy. 97.

  12. joe bloe on August 16th, 2010 10:47 am

    Maybe one day these trucks will slow down!!