At 4:19 am on Sunday the Lawrence County Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a semi truck had struck a bridge just north of Portia on Hwy 63. Portia Fire Department and Lawrence County Deputies were dispatched to the scene. Their were no injuries but the truck which was headed north had crossed the centerline and struck the bridge on the southbound lanes.
Deputies arrived and requested the Lawrence County Office of Emergency Service respond due to a fuel leak on the truck. The Walnut Ridge Fire Department Hazmat Team was requested by the Office of Emergency Service to assist Portia with fuel containment. The fuel was leaking from the truck and through the drainage holes on the bridge into a creek below.
Arkansas Highway Department arrived with a load of sand to place on the fuel in the roadway to absorb the excess. A clean-up crew from Memphis was requested to the scene, Arkansas Department Of Environmental Quality was notified as well. Traffic was stopped until 6:30 am as the truck was removed from the roadway and the spillage was cleaned up.
The accident is being investigated by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.
For more information on the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office visit www.lawrencecountysheriffsoffice.com .
For more information on the Walnut Ridge Fire Department visit www.walnutridgefd.com .