Update: State Police say the driver of the SUV was Stephen Smith of Watertown who failed to yield as he entered Route 177 from Route 95 (Lowe Road.) Smith declined medical treatment at the scene. The tractor-trailer was driven by Bruce Roggie of Croghan. He was released after treatment of minor injuries at a Syracuse Hospital. Smith was ticketed for failure to yield the right of way. Both drivers escaped serious injury when a Lewis County trash transfer truck collided with an SUV near the regional landfill in Rodman.
The SUV driver apparently pulled off the Lowe Road onto Route 177 into the path of the westbound 18-wheel tractor trailer.
The Chevy Blazer was demolished and the tractor trailer veered off the side of Route 177 and overturned.
Miraculously both drivers were up and walking although the tractor trailer driver was flown to a Syracuse hospital as a precaution.
The driver, not immediately identified, is an employee of Lewis County, according to County Manager David Pendergast who arrived to inspect the scene.
"I understand that they transferred him to Syracuse as a precautionary measure. He was able to get out of the vehicle and was standing by the vehicle and was very responsive when the fire department and EMTs arrived," Pendergast said, saying he was very relieved his employee appeared to be okay.
Firefighters tried to soak up a leak from one of the fuel tanks as the big rig lay on its side.
Pendergast said the county has a spare tractor but may have to rent a trailer to replace the damaged one. Otherwise, he said the county's trash transfer operations should be unaffected.
