Driver hospitalized after Olive Township gravel truck rollover
A 72-year-old Allendale man was hospitalized Friday, Oct. 2, after his gravel truck and trailer rolled onto their sides in a roundabout.
The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said the crash happened about 1:22 p.m. at Port Sheldon Street and 120th Avenue in Olive Township.
Investigators believe the truck’s load of approximately 40,000 pounds of sand shifted as he drove through the roundabout, causing the rollover.
He was wearing a seat belt, and firefighters freed him from the cab. He was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The intersection was partially closed while crews cleaned up. The roundabout opened this summer.
Truck load safety rules in Michigan
For commercial trucks subject to federal motor carrier safety rules, 49 CFR 393.100, cargo should be contained so it can’t shift enough to impair the vehicle’s stability or handling.
Loose sand has different requirements from individual cargo items. Under 49 CFR 393.106, bulk materials without a fixed shape are excluded from that section’s requirements for securing individual items. This exception does not eliminate the separate duty to prevent dangerous load shifting.
Loading records, weight tickets and trailer inspections can help show how a load was distributed and contained. Michigan Legal Center’s explanation of shifting and falling truck cargo discusses why these records matter after a cargo-related crash.
Get help from Michigan Legal Center
Michigan Legal Center: the Law Offices of Christopher J. Trainor & Associates handles truck accident and serious injury claims.
If you were injured in a truck rollover or a crash involving shifting cargo, Contact Michigan Legal Center to ask whether the matter is within Michigan Legal Center’s practice areas.
There is no attorney fee unless money is recovered for you. Case costs and fee terms are governed by the written fee agreement.
Michigan Legal Center’s Michigan truck accident claims information explains how truck records, safety duties and insurance can affect a case.