Sleepy truck driver causes fuel spill on 1-40 in North Carolina

Morganton, NC- A driver lost control of his truck and crashed into a median, causing significant damage, and spilling 200 to 300 gallons of diesel fuel.

North Carolina State Highway patrol was responding to a stranded motorist call around 6:30 a.m. When they arrived on the scene they found a tractor-trailer truck perched on a guardrail with fuel leaking from the diesel tank.

According to Trooper Jeremy Allen, the driver, 55 year-old Elvis Edward Burt, who was traveling west on I-40, apparently fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a guardrail. Allen said that Burt’s truck went across the median and “flattened both guardrails.”

Luckily, Burt was not injured.  He was charged with reckless driving.

Hazmat and N.C. Department of Transportation employees worked hours to clean up the fuel spill.

The accident caused a traffic back-up on I-40 because the two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane had to be closed for most of the day.

The accident caused $4,000 to both the truck and the guardrail. Truck accident attorneys are often retained to recover property damage costs.

Fatigue is an issue among truck drivers as they push themselves to deliver their loads and this can often lead to accidents, sometimes involving serious injury and death. Injury victims, who want to seek compensation, will find that a truck accident lawyer will be instrumental to their case, because of their expertise. Contacting a truck accident attorney as soon as possible will assure the victims obtain a favorable settlement.