A truck carrying a load of pesticides crashed Saturday on a remote and winding mountain road in Willamette National Forest, south of Detroit Lake and northeast of Green Peter Reservoir, when the driver tried to take a different route from U.S. Highway 20.
Officials said none of the pesticides were spilled in the crash, but a small amount of diesel fuel was released and cleaned up along Quartzville Road, also known as Forest Service Road 11, where the crash occurred.
Officials from multiple agencies attempted to remove the truck, which was hanging off the side of a cliff.
“Efforts are currently focused on stabilizing the semi-truck and trailer so crews can safely access and dispose of the packaged pesticide,” said Erin Zysett, spokeswoman for the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. “After the pesticide is removed, crews will begin removing the vehicle.
“No chemicals were released into the environment and the Department of Environmental Quality is monitoring the situation on site. Initially, a small amount of diesel fuel was released. This was immediately cleared and the remaining fuel and fuel tanks have been cleaned.” deflated,” Zysett said.
In the meantime, a closure order has been issued for Forest Service Road 11. The truck overturned at mile marker 32 on a sharp curve near Minniece Creek, a tributary of Quartzville Creek.
The road is part of a popular summer recreation corridor, but is not often traveled in the winter due to snow and ice, and is not typically traveled by semi-trucks.
Officials said the truck driver attempted to exit U.S. Highway 20 and followed Google Maps, which led him to the hallway.
“Google Maps can be great, but if you want to take a different route in an emergency situation, we don’t recommend going into an unfamiliar area,” Zysett said.
She suggested relying on TripCheck.com or calling 511.
It’s unclear why the driver tried to take a different route, but it may have been due to weight and weather restrictions on the highway, said Sweet Home District Ranger Nikki Swanson.
The forest closure order closes FSR 11 between milepost 26 and milepost 34. To view the closure order, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and hosts the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared in Salem Statesman Journal: Semitruck carrying pesticides crashes on remote road in Oregon
