At approximately 6:50am on Thursday, there was a collision involving an 18 wheeler and another vehicle on Highway 35 between Blanche and Watson’s Crossroads, close to County Road 810.

Due to impact, the driver of the car had to be extricated from the vehicle by members of the Cherokee County Rescue Squad – afterwards, a landing zone was set up nearby and the female driver, listed as a resident of Leesburg – was air-lifted from the scene  to Floyd Medical in Rome, Georgia for treatment.  The driver of the ’96 Peterbilt, a male resident of Scottsboro, was unhurt

Cherokee County EMA Director Shawn Rogers told WEIS Radio News that the initial 9-1-1 call came in as a complaint of a “reckless driver” and while dispatchers were on the phone with the caller, the caller witnessed the vehicle strike the truck – resulting in the accident.

The big rig left the roadway, then traveled down a small embankment, went through a fence and came to rest in a field – with the trailer overturning in the process.

Cherokee County EMA officials in addition to Broomtown Firefighters and the ALDOT Crews, remained at the scene for much of the day diverting traffic.

Rotator wrecker crews from Fagan’s Wrecker Service had to carefully maneuver the big rig and trailer along a field road leading up to the main road – in order to prevent the load from spilling from the trailer after it had been uprighted.

The truck was hauling steel joists from Fort Payne to Rome.

That wreck remains under investigation by Alabama State Troopers.