SAVANNAH, Ga.- The driver of a semi-truck which lost control and smashed into a sign on I-16 at exit 166 was allegedly looking for his TWIC card, according to accident report documents obtained by local television station WTOC.
On January 5, all eastbound lanes of I-16 were closed for reportedly nine hours as workers attempted to remove the debris from a wreck near where I-16 meets downtown Savannah.
According to the incident’s motor vehicle crash report, a witness who was traveling behind the semi-truck before it crashed said “He was driving normal and maintaining his lane,” but as the fork in I-16 approaching the Gwinnet St. exit approached, things changed.
“As he was taking the curve, his truck started drifting off to the right as he went into the grass,” the report states. “Shortly after, he struck a guardrail and ended up striking a pole with a sign overhead. The truck and trailer ended up laying on his driver side.”
The report says that “Once the driver of unit 1 got out of the tractor trailer, he stated he was looking for his TWIC card prior to the crash.”
The driver was faulted for Distracted Driving and Failure to Maintain Lane and was transported to Memorial Medical Center for injuries to his right shoulder.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
