ATHENS — No injuries were reported after a truck fully loaded with wood chips rolled over onto its passenger side Monday afternoon in Athens, officials said.

Officers respond to a single-vehicle crash on Route 150 in Athens, where a truck carrying a full load of wood chips rolled over Monday afternoon. Officials said its driver allegedly navigated a turn too quickly, but he does not face charges. Contributed by Jim Sylvester

The truck’s driver, Elwood Yeaton III, 47, of Peru, was driving south on Route 150, also known as Main Street, when he attempted to navigate a sharp turn onto Brighton Road, according to Chief Deputy Mike Mitchell of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.

“The incident is still under investigation, but the early indication is that he was going probably a little too fast coming into that corner and it just tipped over,” Mitchell said.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash and Yeaton, who was wearing a seat belt at the time, was uninjured.

“He might feel it tomorrow — that’s what I generally find,” Mitchell said. “But he didn’t have any injuries.”

The vehicle remained on the side of Route 150 for several hours after the 1:50 p.m. crash, waiting for T&W Garage Inc., of Newport, to up-right it and haul it away. Wood chips were scattered across the snow.

Yeaton does not face any charges for the incident, according to Mitchell. The truck is owned by Richard Carrier Trucking Inc., based in Skowhegan.

Lt. Michael Knight, of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, is investigating the case. The Maine State Police’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit will inspect the truck, a 2013 Western Star, to determine if anything was faulty with the vehicle.


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