Logging truck spills load on London Road in Duluth

A logging truck lost part of its load on a busy Duluth road Tuesday morning, causing a mess and slowing traffic.

No one was hurt when the logs fell off an eastbound Salmela Logging Co. truck on London Road at 26th Avenue East just before 9 a.m. The truck had just turned off northbound Interstate 35.

The Minnesota State Patrol said another vehicle sustained minor damage from a log. Traffic lanes on London Road were blocked for a time until logs were rolled out of the way. City of Duluth Public Works crews picked up the errant logs.

Salmela Logging is based in Kettle River. The State Patrol said the Peterbilt semi-truck was driven by Anthony Pluff, 30, of Cloquet. The State Patrol ordered the truck taken out of service and issued Pluff a citation for “improper load securement,’’ according to Sgt. Curt Mowers, a State Patrol spokesman.

A woman driving southbound was getting ready to turn onto I-35 when the logs spilled.

“The next thing I know, I saw this truck with logs on it,” said the woman, who asked that her name not be used. “Truthfully, it happened so fast it was a split-second thing. I could see them (logs) rolling off the stacks. … It knocked me, it jarred me.”

One of the logs hit her car low along the driver’s side, leaving a deep crease in the metal.

“It was a huge crash,” she said. “For a second I thought it would come through the back of my window. I still have wood chips in my door.”

Two sign poles also were damaged, according to the State Patrol. The Duluth Police Department and Duluth Public Works crews also were helping at the scene.

The incident was reported at 8:51 a.m.

Tags: news, auto, transportataion, cloquet