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Published Friday, May 18, 2012 | 4:47 p.m.
Updated Friday, May 18, 2012 | 5:23 p.m.
U.S. 95 closure
Nevada Highway Patrol shut down a stretch of U.S. 95 for 2 1/2 hours after a cement mixing truck dumped about eight tons of cement gravel Friday on the roadway.
At 2:30 p.m. the roadway was closed between Summerlin Parkway to Lake Mead Boulevard, said Trooper Loy Hixson, spokesman for the highway patrol.
Debris stretched from the Rainbow Boulevard curve to the Lake Mead Boulevard exit, and the man driving the cement truck did not stay on scene, Hixson said.
The driver called in the incident after he had realized his truck’s load was missing, Hixson said.
Roadways were reopened around 4:55 p.m., he said.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation, Hixson said.
No injuries were reported and crews have finished cleaning up the scene, Hixson said.
The driver should look at his rear view mirrors every now and then.
I sure would have loved to been listening in that
call the driver made. Can hear the dispatcher now-
"Sir could you repeat that please." "Just exactly
where is your concrete missing from Sir?"
Yet another reason why the Legislature should make these trucking companies liable for the crap that flies off their trucks. Is the state going to be reimbursed for the cleanup, or are they going to get screwed, like when a gravel truck breaks my windshield because they didn't bother to cover their load properly?
First, we sat in this crap for over an hour!!! Second, a NHP dispatcher told us that the accident was at Ann and 95, third, authorities were just standing around moving vehicles from one side of the freeway to the other and finally, how in hell do you just "notice" 8 tons of material "missing"?
Driver leaves the scene THEN calls in reporting he is missing EIGHT TONS OF GRAVEL ??? Does he not have a rear/side view mirror ? As a driver, I would think and EXPECT he'd be trained in load carrying safety.
I've driven behind such trucks notoriously popping rocks out, bouncing across the roadway pitting cars and windshields. I've learned to either stay far behind, or go around them as quickly as possible. EIGHT TONS ? Equals total Driver irresponsibility.
As far as being liable for breaking a windshield, Absolutely. I one day, got stuck behind one such truck popping out rocks a few years ago here in town, on 95, as much as I tried to avoid the rocks, one hit and broke my windshield. I was so furious, that I followed the truck all the way back to their company, and threw a fit. They did pay for my windshield replacement, and despite what signs they post on their trucks now days, not being responsible ? B.S. It's only because They are AWARE of the problem they pose, It's only going to take people like me, fighting them, until they actually fix the problem. To drive with a broken windshield is a TICKET, not to mention the COST of replacing it. They break it ? They're going to fix it ! Ok, now I feel better, and can step off my soap box
There is a screw shape inside the drum. The drum turns one way when mixing, the other way when pouring. My guess is he had it turning the wrong way when he was driving.
If you're driving 8 TONS of anything and you lose that load you WILL notice. The truck will not drive the same. My guess is the driver didn't want to stay on the scene and be "that idiot".
Another truck driver doing what they do best, screwing up. The load was dumped because he had the mixer drum spinning backwards. When he left the hopper at the concrete batch plant, the drum was spinning right; the dummy hit the switch in transit and reversed to empty the load, another fine example of a teamster doing what they do best; something stupid.
Tim: Might not have been a Teamster driver. There are plenty of scabs driving trucks in Vegas. They are the ones who have to drive day and night because they don't get paid diddly squat...