06/15/11 Traffic was at a standstill Sunday afternoon on U.S. 30 just west of the Oak Drive intersection in Plymouth. Lyon’s Wrecker Service and with assistance from Reichert & Knepp Wrecker Service worked at up righting a tandem axle trailer carrying a race car.
At 11:03 the Marshall County 9-1-1 Center received a call of a customized Freight-liner toter that was west bound and had driven down a steep embankment on the north side of the roadway near the Subway in front of Wal-Mart. Although the semi stayed upright, the tall, tandem axel trailer carrying a race car rolled over on its side.
The semi was pulled from the drainage ditch to the parking lot while the towing companies had to work for hours to secure the trailer and upright it before pulling it up the embankment back onto U.S.30. Specialized air bags were used in the process of lifting the trailer to the upright position.
The driver, 46 year old William Amsler of Francesville told Plymouth Officer Bridget Hite that he had stopped at the traffic light and then proceeded westbound. He believes that he blacked out and ran the vehicle off the right side of the road way and down the embankment into the drainage ditch.
Amsler complained of pain and was transported to Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth. He was treated for minor injuries and released. He was back at the scene of the crash and watched as the trailer was hauled out of the ditch.
West bound traffic was detoured from U.S. 30 south to Oak Drive and then west on Lincoln Highway and back onto U.S. 30 at Queen Road.
