Truck driver cited after loader flips on Prineville grade

(Update: Correcting direction of truck)

A truck driver hauling a front-end loader on a trailer was cited Thursday after the loader tipped over and off the trailer on Highway 126 west of Prineville. The crash blocked the “Prineville grade” and forced detours for close to an hour, but there were no injuries, police said.

The crash occurred around 3:30 p.m. near the viewpoint turnoff as the easttbound dump truck was hauling a rental loader, which was chained down to the trailer, police Sgt. James Peterson said.

The crash blocked all of the lanes for a half-hour or more, but fortunately no one was hurt: “That could have been a devastating crash,” Peterson said.

ODOT responded to the scene and westbound traffic was diverted onto the O’Neil Highway for 45 minutes to an hour, the sergeant said.

Two wreckers responded to put the loader upright and remove it from the scene. A hazardous materials team from SMAF Environmental also was called in to clean up a small spill of fuel or oil from the overturned loader, Peterson said.

The driver, who works for a Madras equipment rental company, was cited for failure to maintain a lane. Peterson said speed was a factor in the crash.