**** Edit All Lanes Are Now Back Open and Scene is Cleared****
Leesburg- An early morning accident occurred at the intersection of Highway 411 and Highway 68 in Leesburg in front of Coosa Corner on Wednesday morning. A tractor trailer truck struck a box truck in the intersection, causing the box truck to be overturned in the ditch on the southwest corner of the intersection.
Units from Leesburg Police and Fire Departments, along with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and Atrium Health Floyd EMS responded to the scene.
The tractor trailer was hauling lumber, and was traveling north on Highway 411. The box tuck, which was filled with tools and equipment, was attempting to cross Highway 411, heading east on 68 from the direction of Sand Rock.
WEIS Radio News Spoke with both drivers and witnesses at the scene who saw the accident happen.
The driver of the tractor trailer said the right turn signal on the box truck was on, and he believed the truck was going to make a right-hand turn onto Highway 411, and not come across. The driver of the box truck stated his intention was to cross 411 and continue on Highway 68. Witnesses said the tractor trailer hit the box truck as it attempted to cross Highway 411.
The box truck ended up overturned in the ditch at the southwest corner of the southbound lane of the intersection.
The driver of the box truck sated he was fine and had no injuries. Witnesses were concerned about the driver of the tractor trailer, telling him he should seek treatment. Initially, he was refusing treatment, but firefighters later asked medics to return to the scene to evaluate him.
The accident had the southbound lane of Highway 411 blocked. Traffic had to either find another route, or detour onto 68, and turn around to make a right hand turn to continue if they were traveling south in the direction of Gadsden.
The driver of the box truck was going to evaluate his load when crews arrived to right the truck to see what would need to be done about his load.
The driver of the tractor trailer said he would have to get another truck to the scene to move the trailer and that crews would have to pull it from where it sat to clear the intersection.
As of 7:30 this morning, the roads were still blocked from the accident. We will update when we get confirmation that the scene has been cleared to traffic.
