By Deidre Wilson

Editor

The driver of a tractor-trailer that flipped on Highway 52 on Saturday night, May 12 was extricated and transported by ground ambulance to Sumner Regional Medical Center with complaints of internal injuries, according to investigating officer Trooper Tracy Donoho.

Trooper Donoho says Mike Beckwith, Jr., 41, of California, was later transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.

The incident occurred at the intersection of Old Highway 52 near Westside Elementary School in Western Macon County.

According to Trooper Donoho, the truck Beckwith was driving for Knight Transportation was hauling an empty trailer to the Nestle bottling plant in Red Boiling Springs.

Beckwith was traveling eastbound on Highway 52 and, according to Trooper Donoho, stated that his trailer jackknifed while he was negotiating a curve. He traveled off the north side of the highway before his truck came to rest in a ravine.

Trooper Donoho says it is possible Beckwith was trapped in his vehicle for 45 minutes before rescue workers were able to get him out of his truck cab.

In addition, one of the truck’s diesel tanks ruptured and leaked fuel, which required clean up by a Hazmat crew from Nashville.

The crew worked on cleaning up the spill late into the evening on Saturday and came back on Sunday afternoon to work on it some more.