Overturned truck gets righted after 15 hours

After nearly 15 hours, an overturned tractor-trailer truck carrying dry cement was able to be up-righted and a new natural gas line installed Thursday underneath Arkansas Highway 32 near the Wallace community in Little River County, Ark.

About 10:20 a.m. Thursday, a tractor-trailer carrying dry cement from Ash Grove Cement near Foreman, Ark., was traveling eastbound when it overturned in a curve, Arkansas State Police Trooper First Class Clayton McWilliams said.

The truck was driven by Jerry Butler of De Queen, Ark. Butler entered a curve too fast and over-corrected, causing the load to shift and the truck to overturn, McWilliams said.

The truck knocked out a natural gas line meter, which required crews to replace the gas line underneath the highway.

"They had to bring in a special team to bore under Highway 32 to lay new lines," McWilliams said.

Crews had to use a vacuum truck to pump the product into a separate tanker truck. After the weight was reduced, crews were able to upright the tractor-trailer, he said.

The driver was treated for minor injuries at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health Center in Texarkana, Texas.

Butler was cited for inattentive driving.

The accident scene was cleared about 1:30 a.m. Friday.

-Jim Williamson

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