VIDEOS: A powerful windstorm is creating dangerous conditions across central Montana, flipping semi trucks and forcing road closures.
One empty tractor trailer traveling eastbound into Great Falls was blown onto its side by strong wind gusts. With no load inside, there was nothing to keep the truck grounded. “There’s no weight, no load on those trucks, they’re just like parasails, they just tip over,” says Joe Benski with Benski Towing and Recovery, who responded to the scene.
Crews at the crash site were not only tasked with recovering the overturned truck but also handling a hazardous materials cleanup after fuel and oil spilled onto the roadway.
Benski explains, “We’re doing recovery and a hazmat cleanup right now, cleaning up all the fuel and the oil. We’ll be back later tonight to upright the tractor trailer when the wind dies down and get the road back open.” The driver involved walked away with only minor cuts and bruises, but Benski stressed that traveling in these conditions is not worth the risk. “The first thing they should do is park right now. It’s too windy to be driving,” he says.
