A Cadet man was injured late Monday afternoon, June 10, when the dump truck he was driving ran off Hwy. 21 north of Hwy. B near Hillsboro and ended up in a ravine where it caught fire, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported.
At 4:35 p.m., Emmett R. Gaddy, 58, Cadet was driving the southbound 1999 Freightliner when the dump truck had a blowout and traveled off the highway, continued down an embankment and struck numerous trees, the report said.
Gaddy sustained minor injuries and was taken by Valle Ambulance to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, according to the report.
Hillsboro Fire Chief Brian Gaudet said firefighters arrived at the scene at 4:40 p.m.
“They found a dump truck on fire approximately 400 feet down a ravine into a wooded area with the driver trapped and unable to exit the vehicle,” Gaudet said. “It was rather difficult to fight a fire that far off the road. Then, we had to remove a door using a Jaws of Life.”
Gaudet said firefighters used a fire extinguisher while they unfurled a hose.
“The fire extinguisher was quickly deployed to keep the fire off the driver while a hose line was deployed to extinguish the remaining fire,” Gaudet said. “By 4:54 p.m., the victim was extricated from the dump truck and was able to walk on (his) own accord up the hill to the highway.”
Gaudet said southbound Hwy. 21 was closed at 6:15 p.m. so a towing company could remove the dump truck from the ravine. Hillsboro and Mapaville firefighters cut down multiple trees to clear a path for the tow truck
“Normally, emergency crews disconnect the batteries on vehicles involved in an accident, but we were unable to due to the location of the vehicle,” Gaudet said. “This caused the dump truck to again catch fire while being brought to the top of the hill. Crews were prepared for this and quickly extinguished the fire.”
He said the dump truck was removed at approximately 10 p.m., and southbound Hwy. 21 was reopened.
Gaddy was wearing a seat belt, and the dump truck was extensively damaged, the patrol reported.
The Goldman Fire Protection District and the Hillsboro Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office also helped at the scene, Gaudet said.
He also acknowledged bystanders who tried to rescue the driver before emergency personnel arrived.
“The victim is alive because of the actions of all,” Gaudet said.