SALEM, W.Va. — U.S. Route 50 is back open after a major incident shutdown the highway’s west bound lanes for hours Thursday morning.
An electric transformer fell off a truck in the west bound lanes around 4:45 a.m. The incident happened on a bridge near the Marshville Road intersection. The situation became even more complicated when the transformer ruptured and spilled oil over the bridge deck. An initial report to Harrison County 911 indicated the transformer had caught fire, that turned out to not be the case when the fire department arrived. The incident did create a haz-mat situation which closed the highway.
During the resulting traffic snarl a three car crash occurred. The secondary wreck sent two people by ambulance to United Hospital in Clarksburg. Their conditions were not immediately available.
Investigators have not identified the company responsible for the transformer. An environmental cleanup crew is on the scene handling the cleanup and the investigation continues.
The road reopened just before 10:00 a.m.