by Malcolm Butler
Tow trucks and emergency responders were busy this past weekend as Lincoln Parish saw at least two one-vehicle incidents on I-20.
Friday morning saw a one-car fire around mile marker 98 just inside the Lincoln Parish line headed east on I-20.
According to the Lincoln Parish Fire District, they were dispatched to the scene at 10 a.m. for a passenger vehicle fire. When LPFD arrived, firefighters found a vehicle fully engulfed with fire. LPFD personnel were able to quickly extinguish the fire.
Due to the fire’s location, Ouachita Parish Fire and Choudrant Fire also dispatched trucks to the scene. Once the fire was extinguished, one LPFD unit remained on scene until the burned vehicle was towed from the interstate.
No injuries occurred as a result of the fire. The cause was determined to be a mechanical issue with the vehicle.
Sunday morning at 9:34 a.m. the Ruston Police Department and Ruston Fire Department worked an accident that saw an 18-wheeler going east bound overturn in the median just east of Exit 85 on I-20.
Ruston Police Deputy Chief Chad Hamblin said an officer was patrolling near the North Vienna Street bridge and discovered a semi-truck overturned in the median of I-20 eastbound. The driver was able to crawl out through the windshield to escape the truck.
The driver told police he had a tire blow out and the weight of the truck shifted, causing the truck to overturn. The driver was transported to Northern Louisiana Medical Center where he was treated for moderate injuries.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
