STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

NEWS RELEASE

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH

CASE#: 21A103082

RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Sgt. Brandon Doll

STATION: VSP Williston                       

CONTACT#: 802-878-7111

DATE/TIME: 08/18/2021 9:04 AM

STREET: I-89 northbound at South Brownell Road overpass

TOWN: Williston, VT

INTERSTATE MILE MARKER: 83.6

WEATHER: Cloudy       

ROAD CONDITIONS: Dry

VEHICLE #1

OPERATOR: Tobey L. Askew

AGE:  46   

SEAT BELT? Under investigation

CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Colchester, VT

VEHICLE YEAR: 1996

VEHICLE MAKE: Mack

VEHICLE MODEL: Dump truck

DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #1: Extensive damage to bed and cab

INJURIES: None

HOSPITAL: N/A

 

SUMMARY OF CRASH:

The northbound travel lane of Interstate 89 just past the Williston exit will be closed for an extended period following a dump truck that crashed into the South Brownell Road overpass Wednesday morning, Aug. 18, 2021. Inspections are underway for damage to the bridge and the highway.

 

No injuries were reported in the single-vehicle wreck. The crash occurred at about 9:04 a.m. when a 1996 Mack dump truck driven by Tobey L. Askew, 46, of Colchester was passing under the bridge while the bed of the dump truck was in the elevated position. The bed struck the bridge and became dislodged from the cab of the truck, falling into the I-89 travel and breakdown lanes under South Brownell Road. The truck is owned and operated by S.D. Ireland Companies. The cause of the dump truck bed being elevated is under investigation, but preliminary investigation indicates the crash was an accident.

 

The Vermont Agency of Transportation is inspecting the bridge for any possible structural damage. The Vermont State Police was assisted by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement Division, the Williston Fire Department, Williston Rescue, and S.D. Ireland.

 

Troopers have responded to two separate crashes involving five total vehicles that occurred as a result of traffic and merging issues in the area of the initial dump truck wreck. No injuries were reported in these secondary collisions. Drivers in the area should slow down, merge early, drive cautiously and with patience, expect delays and consider taking alternate routes.

 

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