Overturned semi leaves man lucky to be alive

A semi full of planks headed to Napier Pallet overturned at the bottom of the hill at State HWY 177 and Butler-Greenwood Road Thursday morning, August 5, dumping lumber over a large area, including into the creek and over a private bridge, less than a mile from his destination.

The accident took hours to clear.

Donnie Williams of Alabama stated that he was unfamiliar with the road, but his GPS took him across 177. As he started down the hill leading into Butler, his brakes failed.

"They need to update the routes on GPS," he said. "I shouldn't have been on this road."

Mike Moore of Pendleton County Emergency Management said that Williams was one lucky man.

"He said his brakes went out, and he tried to make the turn. He had to have rolled the truck to get the trailer and the truck into the position it was in. It wasn't just an overturned truck. He rolled it. The trailer was almost in the creek."

Moore said that Williams' supervisor from Jay No of Alabama told Willliams to grab a bus home, and Rodney Miles, who was clearing the accident, sent one of his workers to take him to the bus station in Cincinnati.

Moore praised Miles and all who worked the scene. "Rodney Miles and his crew did a great job in clean-up. The poor residents were blocked into their home until we got it taken care of. The ambulance crew checked the driver out to be sure he wasn't hurt."

He chuckled. "I didn't realize I would be picking up planks most of my day."