A tractor-trailer accident this morning, Sept. 19, on I-55 south of Festus led to the closure of the northbound lanes for about an hour.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that the accident occurred about 8:30 a.m. on northbound I-55 at the 168-mile marker.
According to the report, Jonathan R. Brown, 36, Germantown, Tenn., was driving a 2020 Volvo VNL when the vehicle went off the left side of the interstate and the driver overcorrected, causing the vehicle to overturn on its side.
The vehicle was totaled and the driver, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken by Joachim-Plattin Ambulance to Mercy Hospital Jefferson with minor injuries, the report states.
Jefferson R-7 Fire Chief Mark Earls said his department also responded.
“The tractor-trailer ran off the road,” he said. “It rolled over on its side and dumped a load of lumber.”
The work to put the tractor-trailer upright and the cleanup process forced the traffic stoppage, he said.
“He ended up in the fast lane,” Earls said. “Once the tow truck got there, the highway was shut down for about an hour.”