Driver of overturned water truck to be cited

BY JAMES LOEWENSTEIN (STAFF WRITER)
Published: November 4, 2010

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The driver of the 18-wheeler water tanker truck that overturned Monday in an accident on state Route 409 in Camptown will be cited for traveling at an unsafe speed, state police said Wednesday.

William McClelland, 49, of Williamsport was driving the truck north on Route 409 when he lost control of the vehicle on a left curve in the roadway, state police at Towanda said in a press release that they issued Tuesday morning.

The truck struck a guardrail on the east side of the roadway and overturned, sliding on its passenger side into a yard, nearly striking a residence, the press release said.

The truck was carrying a full load of fresh water at the time, police said.

At the accident scene, State Police Cpl. Roger Stipcak had said that it appeared, partly on the basis of interviews with witnesses, that the truck's brakes might have failed.

He said at the time that the state police needed to inspect the vehicle to confirm the brake failure.

However, as of Wednesday, the inspection had not been performed, as the state police had been "swamped" with vehicle inspections, a state trooper said.

McClelland, who was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, suffered a minor injury, police said.

The accident occurred at 8:32 p.m., about 1/8 of a mile from the intersection with state Route 706, police said.

The home that was nearly struck was the residence of Richard and Hope Minyon.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or e-mail: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.

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