A texting trucker, who spilled paint all over an interstate in Maryland, has been arrested. The trucker, David M. Vaughn, 33, an employee of RDF Logistics Inc, spilled 6,500 gallons of yellow and white paint on the road.
A texting trucker, who spilled paint on an interstate, has been charged by Maryland authorities. Meet David M. Vaughn, a 33-year-old trucker from Ohio, who almost painted a town yellow.
On Wednesday, Mr. Vaughn had an urge to send one of those funny or pointless text messages as he drove on Interstate 68 in western Maryland and lost control of his tractor–trailer.
The accident where thankfully no one was injured left the State Highway Administration asking a very strange question: How do you clean up 6,500 gallons of paint that splashed on several hundred feet of pavement?
According to the police, “there was enough spilled paint to fill an above-ground swimming pool.” The crazy twist in this story is that the trucker was actually carrying traffic paint, which is used to paint durable white and yellow stripes on the highway.
State Highway Administration spokesman David Buck said that it is very hard to remove the paint and added:
“We can’t wash it off. The stuff that’s on the road literally has to be scraped off.”
The spill caused by the trucker created a major traffic jam, and both lanes were closed for about 12 hours. Buck stated:
“The westbound lanes were shut down after the 6:14 p.m. crash, with traffic rerouted through Hancock using U.S. 522 and Md. 144.”
According to the official, the cleanup will take about four days, and they are forced to close the Baltimore and Washington lanes.
Mr. Vaughn was not injured and was helped out of the rig by a motorist. The trucker was arrested and charged with negligent driving and using a hand-held mobile phone while operating a commercial vehicle.
He has since posted bail, returned to his home in Ohio and refused to speak to the media. The trucking company, RDF Logistics Inc, which employs Vaughn and has its headquarters in Ohio, has no comments on the story.
What are your thoughts on the texting trucker?
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