Jeep’s sudden highway u-turn causes overturn of loaded log truck

A motorist’s poorly timed u-turn caused a loaded log truck to overturn in Washington on Thursday morning. 

The accident happened on May 20th at around 6:50 a.m. in Joyce along Highway 101 . 

According to Peninsula Daily News, trucker Tina N. Cole was driving eastbound on Highway 101 near mile marker 236 when a Jeep driving just ahead started to slow down and pulled over to the right shoulder. Cole then attempted to go around the slowing motorist, but the Jeep turned left directly in front of the rig and attempted a u-turn without using a turn signal. 

The rig then struck the jeep, sending it spinning across the highway until it came to a stop facing west in the eastbound lanes. 

The force of the collision sent the log truck veering across the westbound lanes and into a roadside ditch, where it came to a stop and overturned, spilling the load of logs. 

“The car was slowing like it was pulling over to the side,” said Fire District 2 Chief Jake Patterson.

“The log truck went to go around them and it turned directly in front of the logging truck.”

“If there would have been another vehicle westbound, it would have hit it head-on,” Patterson said.

Luckily, no one was hurt in the crash, but a portion of highway 101 westbound was closed for 4 and a half hours as crews worked to clear the spilled logs. 

The motorist, Tina S. Feuerstein, has been cited for improper lane usage.