BRINNON — The driver of a tractor-trailer was airlifted with serious injuries to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Monday after his vehicle went into a ditch off U.S. Highway 101 near Brinnon.
The crash occurred at about 5:43 a.m. when Dennis D. Dailey, 65 and of Sequim, was southbound at milepost 311 near Canal View Street, according to a State Patrol report issued Monday night.
The 1994 Kenworth tractor and 2017 Western trailer left the roadway to the right, gradually entered the ditch and rolled onto the right side.
The 50-foot trailer contained garbage, and some of the load spilled onto the road, the State Patrol said earlier Monday.
The wreck blocked the southbound lane for much of the day. The state Department of Transportation said in a bulletin at 7:05 p.m. that the scene was cleared.
The cause and any possible charges in the wreck remain under investigation, according to the State Patrol report.
The State Patrol does not suspect that drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash. Dailey was wearing a seat belt.
The Brinnon Fire Department responded and helped with debris cleanup and traffic control. Lane closures alternated throughout the morning and into the evening as first responders cleared the scene. No detours were available.
“Crews are working as quickly and diligently as they can,” Trooper Chelsea Hodgson wrote Monday afternoon on Twitter, @wspd8pio. “We thank you for your patience as we work to clear up the roadway.”
State Patrol said the vehicle was totalled and a tow was arranged.
________
Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 6, or at bmclean@peninsuladailynews.com.