April 3, 2017 - Center Fire Department firemen found themselves in a sticky situation on Saturday, April 1, 2017 as they worked to clean the roadway of corn syrup.
A truck and trailer traveling by the intersection of FM 417 on U.S. Highway 96 lost a portion of its load of corn syrup on the highway. Although the sticky substance quickly adhered to the roadway, travelers found navigating through the viscous substance to be too slippery to navigate safely at high speed.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Jesse Fountain, at around 2:10pm a red 1999 Ford F-550 driven by Wesley Jack Evans, 37, of North Dakota for T2 Honey Company L.L.C. with passenger Kevin Sandgren, 21, was northbound on U.S. 96 and was intending on turning right onto FM 417. Evans abruptly came to a halt and when he turned the truck right a 2500 lb tank full of honey bee syrup came off the trailer and landed in the roadway.
A white 1999 Mazda Protege driven by Alitha Rene Walker, 49, of San Augustine traveled over the slick substance in the roadway and lost control. The vehicle hydroplaned and left the roadway to the right where it came to rest in a ditch with minor damage.
ACE EMS arrived on scene and those involved in the incident refused treatment. No injuries were reported resulting from the incident.
Evans was issued a citation for fail to secure and improperly secured load.
The Center Fire Department continued to hose down the scene and direct traffic around the spillage until they returned to the station at 4pm. Toward the end of the presence of the firemen at the location, TxDOT arrived to assist in the cleanup.
