Minor injuries in I-80 big rig accident

An eastbound big-rig went over the edge of Interstate 80 Friday morning between the Soda Springs and Boreal exits.

The accident occurred at about 4:30 a.m., taking out about 200 feet of railing on the right-hand shoulder, said California Highway Patrol Officer Steve Skeen.

Skeen was originally told the driver was not injured, but later information indicated the driver had sustained minor injuries.

A tow company, the Truckee Fire Protection District, the California Department of Fish and Game, and CHP were worked to upright and recover the truck, but as holiday weekend traffic increased, decided to leave the truck until Tuesday, when lane closures would have less of an effect, Skeen said.

The truck was wedged between some rocks, complicating its extraction, he said.

Fish and Game was involved because of concerns about diesel fuel getting into a local pond, Skeen said.

Later Skeen said that no diesel had gotten into the pond, and H2O, a private Hazardous Materials company contracted by Caltrans was cleaning up the fuel that spilled.

Greyson Howard, Sierra Sun