A SLIPPERY SITUATION: Fluid leak could have caused Friday accidents

Published 12:01 am Saturday, April 9, 2016

A fluid leak from a large dump truck caused a commotion around Vicksburg Friday afternoon.

Around 12:30 p.m. Friday, an 18-wheel large dump truck hauling dirt and traveling from Mississippi 27 onto the westbound lane of Interstate 20 was simultaneously spilling hydraulic fluid from a broken hydrolic line on the truck.

The truck driver, Melvin Langston Jr., 56, of Florence, exited the interstate at Halls Ferry and traffic officer Russell Dorsey stopped him on the exit ramp from the interstate. He was written a citation for spilling on roadway, Dorsey said.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

“I made contact with him after he stopped,” Dorsey said. “He didn’t know it was spilling prior to me making contact with him.”

Dorsey believes the spill started in the county somewhere near Stenson Road, but the largest amount of fluid was found at the Mississippi 27 and U.S. 80 intersection. At that location, Dorsey said a motorcycle slipped on the fluid and crashed causing damage to the motorcycle.

“It was slippery and he laid the motorcycle over and actually crashed to the ground causing damage to the motorcycle and that was on Highway 27 at East Clay,” Dorsey said, adding the accident happened in Mississippi Highway Patrol jurisdiction.

The Vicksburg Fire Department cleaned up the fluid, he said.

A second accident occurred around 12:47 p.m. at the ramp from Clay Street onto Interstate 20 westbound. Traffic officer Walter Harris said he is not sure if the wreck happened because of the spilt hydraulic fluid or whether the vehicle’s prior issues with its passenger side front tire was the reason for the accident.

“Either or could have caused the accident,” Harris said. “She did say she had problems with the front right tire, and the whole axel and everything came apart.”

Markita McGloster, 18, of Vicksburg, was driving a blue Dodge Durango when she lost control of the vehicle as she was merging onto the westbound lane of Interstate 20 and hit a white Lexis driven by Robert King, 57, of McKinney, Texas.

“Everyone was OK,” Harris said.