A Mess on I-77

MINERAL WELLS - No one was injured after a truck overturned Thursday and spilled a load of sand onto the northbound entrance ramp of Interstate 77.

Mineral Wells Volunteer Fire Department received the call shortly before 3 p.m., said Chief Jay Parsons. Wood County sheriff's deputies said a tractor-trailer driven by Terry Powell of Parkersburg was southbound on West Virginia 14.

The truck was owned by DeBarr Trucking of Parkersburg.

Powell attempted to turn left onto the northbound entrance ramp of I-77, said Deputy Jim Greenwalt. The load shifted and the vehicle overturned onto its side, spilling its cargo.

"He advised that he was making the turn and the load shifted," he said.

Parsons said Powell received only minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital. Greenwalt said no citations were issued as a result of the incident.

"He had a couple of scrapes on him. Minor scrapes and bruises," Parsons said.

Mineral Wells firefighters were on the scene for about two hours, Parsons said. Workers from DeBarr shoveled the sand away from the truck so it could be set upright and removed from the scene. The sand was loaded onto another truck, requiring workers to use a large end-loader.

The entrance ramp was blocked for about one hour while the vehicle was removed. Traffic on W.Va. 14 flowed largely uninterrupted during the incident.

"It really wasn't that bad," Parsons said.