Downtown Modesto traffic detoured by more than 7,000 pounds of fallen lumber
A truck driver made it all the way from Sparks, Nevada — a winding, mountainous drive of 200-plus miles — only to lose his load Tuesday morning in downtown Modesto, less than four miles from his destination.
The mishap occurred at 10:20 a.m. in the intersection of 12th and I streets. The long load of lumber had people who didn’t witness the incident wondering aloud if the pieces were deposited there intentionally for some downtown construction project.
The driver for Reno Truss, who declined to give his name, said he had no problems on the long drive. He declined to comment on how 19 pieces of engineered floor truss slid from the back of the flatbed. Each piece weighs about 400 pounds, he said, meaning what hit the street — and fortunately no vehicles or pedestrians — weighs about 7,600 pounds.
Traffic was detoured by police as Modesto Public Works employees and a forklift operator from American Lumber got to the scene and put the trusses back on the truck.
By about 11:15, the driver had one strap on the load and moved his truck to the curb to add more straps. He had assistance from employees of BMC Building Materials and Construction Services on Nathan Avenue near the Modesto Airport. BMC was the driver’s destination.
The trusses were undamaged in the fall onto the street, the driver said.
This story was originally published September 24, 2019 at 12:38 PM.
