Parts fly off semi, cause multiple wrecks on I-77
STRASBURG (WJER) (Feb. 10, 2022) – A New Philadelphia Post trooper is explaining what caused the traffic congestion near the village Wednesday evening.
Troy Thompson says several vehicles were damaged when a semi-truck traveling south on I-77 shed some of its parts about a mile past exit 87.
“Three cars struck it and we just had one minor injury out of it, and one of the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s deputies also hit the objects and it damaged their car.”
Sheriff’s Sgt. Travis Stocker says a deputy responding to a call about the debris struck what appeared to be a bent-up rim that he didn’t notice because it blended in with the road. He says the deputy is ok but the cruiser is temporarily out of service.
“It was leaking fluid real bad, and suffered damage to the radiator. We have a mechanic coming out today to take a look at it.”
No additional details were available, and the trooper handling the crash report is off until Saturday. ODOT ended up closing the road and detouring traffic for about an hour.