Tractor-trailer truck loses 20 tons of butter on Maine highway

Bowdoinham, ME- A tractor-trailer truck hauling 20 tons of butter crashed early Wednesday morning, snarling traffic on I-295 as crews struggled to save the cargo.

Maine State police said that the driver of the tractor-trailer, Kevin Bryant, 41, was on his first day of his new job when he fell asleep at the wheel. He had been driving for nearly four hours prior to the 8 a.m. accident.

Bryant lost control of his vehicle and scrapped along a guardrail for before careening into a wooded area. State Trooper Chris Rogers told Bangor Daily News, “It was quite a sight. It burrowed a hole so far into the woods you couldn’t see the truck from the road.”

Bryant was not injured, but crews worked frantically to move the butter from the wrecked truck. One of the truck’s fuel tanks ruptured and spilled close to 100 gallons of diesel fuel.

The truck and the refrigerated trailer were both totaled, the cost of which can be recovered by a truck accident attorney if the truck owner choses.

Bryant was cited for an out of date log book.

It was fortunate that no one was seriously injured, but the trucking company will face the exorbitant cost of replacing the damaged equipment. When a driver causes significant property damage, a truck accident lawyer can seek to recover these costs either through an insurance company or through a court case. Since a truck accident attorney specializes in case of this nature they are able to obtain a beneficial settlement.