Dump truck crash closes Rt. 2
July 31, 2024 | By Lisa ScagliottiAug. 2: This story was updated with information on the condition of the truck driver.
Wreckers on U.S. Route 2 work the recovery of a dump truck that went off I-89 southbound in Waterbury this morning. Photo by Gordon Miller
A dump truck driver was seriously injured and U.S. Route 2 was temporarily closed west of downtown Waterbury after a crash on Interstate 89 just north of the Waterbury exit on Wednesday morning.
The driver was taken to UVM Medical Center in Burlington with serious injuries, officials said.
According to Department of Motor Vehicles investigators, the incident happened at approximately 8:23 a.m. when a commercial dump truck owned by SD Ireland and driven by Savion Mccray-Thibou, 19, of Burlington, struck a tire that was reported to have been left from a tractor-trailer unit in the right-hand lane of I-89 south near mile marker 65.2 in Waterbury.
The dump truck lost control, rolled over, lost its load of stone, and entrapped the driver in the truck, the DMV report states.
Waterbury Fire Chief Gary Dillon said the extrication took three hours. “This is the longest one that members of the fire department were ever involved in,” he said.
UVM HealthNet Transport took the driver to UVM Medical Center in Burlington, officials said. DMV inspectors and other emergency crews remained on the scene to investigate and recover the wreckage of the crash.
As a result of this incident, I-89 southbound north of the Waterbury exit was reduced to one travel lane. In addition, U.S. Route 2 in Waterbury between Little River Road and Parro’s Gun Shop was closed to all traffic for the recovery effort by LaRoche Towing from Barre involving the dump truck; it reopened just before 2 p.m.
On Friday, S.D. Ireland Safety Administrator Nicole Kittell said that the driver was still hospitalized but in good spirits and doing well considering the circumstances. “He’s on the road to recovery,” she said. Kittell praised the employee for deftly handling the emergency in busy morning traffic in a way that didn’t impact other vehicles or result in any additional injuries. “We’re very proud of how he handled the situation,” Kittell said.
The company is working with the Department of Motor Vehicles investigators to find out more about how the incident occurred. Company vehicles are all equipped with dashcams, and may be helpful in finding clues to how the tractor-trailer came to be on the highway, Kittell said. DMV investigators ask that anyone with information regarding a commercial vehicle losing a tire on I-89 on Wednesday morning to contact the DMV Enforcement and Safety Division at 802-828-2078.
On I-89 on the left, one travel lane is closed while it is cleared. Photo by Gordon Miller
In addition to officers from Vermont DMV Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and Vermont State Police, other first responders included Waterbury Fire Department, Waterbury Ambulance Service and Barre Town Ambulance, UVM HealthNet Transport, and Vermont Fish & Wildlife.
