Staff report
A car versus tractor-trailer accident Monday morning sent a Salisbury man to the hospital and spilled diesel fuel at a convenience store on U.S. 29.
William Haley Collins, 26, of Salisbury, sustained a broken leg and was transported by Rowan EMS to Rowan Regional Medical Center shortly after the 10:19 a.m. collision.
Trooper Bradley P. Potts of the N.C. Highway Patrol said Collins was driving a 1999 Nissan Sentra north on U.S. 29 following a 2004 International tractor-trailer driven by Timothy James Medlin, 36, of Easley, S.C.
Both vehicles were in the right lane of the northbound traffic.
Medlin signaled a right turn into Jordan’s Hot Spot, and began a swing to the left to make the turn into the store parking area.
Collins told Trooper Potts that he saw the right signal, but thought that the tractor-trailer was going to turn left, since it moved to the left.
Collins continued northbound, with his car ramming into the fuel tank of the tractor-trailer on the passenger’s side.
Potts praised the Locke firefighters for their efforts to contain the fuel spill. Firefighter set up a pool to pump out the diesel fuel remaining in the tank and used an absorbent product to soak up oil on the road and the paved area around the convenience store.
A Concord company that specializes in cleaning up fuel spills was called to the scene.
Potts charged Collins with failure to reduce speed. His car was destroyed by the impact.
The tractor-trailer, owned by H.T. Hackney Co. of Knoxville, which distributes snacks to convenience stores, sustained damage to the fuel tank only.