Excessive speed blamed in log truck accident

SANDPOINT - Excessive speed and improper loading were to blame for a Thursday morning log truck accident that stopped traffic for more than an hour and left dozens of logs on a busy downtown thoroughfare, according to Idaho State Police.

Shortly before noon, the rear trailer of a log truck traveling southbound on Fifth Avenue overturned as the driver negotiated a turn onto U.S. Highway 2, said ISP Cpl. Jeff Jayne.

"The entire load was still banded together and went off as one unit, slid across the pavement into the oncoming lane, narrowly missing oncoming traffic," Jayne said.

The accident stopped traffic for about an hour and a half as the load was disbanded and logs were individually stacked onto the trailer.

No one was injured in the accident and the truck's driver was ticketed for an over-height load violation.