A fully loaded coal truck rolled Monday morning in the 5000 block of Hay Gulch Road (County Road 120) near the King II coal mine southwest of Hesperus.
The rollover occurred about 9:10 a.m. east of the mine. The 2006 Freightliner was traveling north when the driver slowed and moved to the right to make way for two empty trucks coming the opposite direction, Driscoll said. The shoulder of the road gave way underneath the 79,000-pound truck, causing it to topple, said Capt. Adrian Driscoll, with the Colorado State Patrol in Durango.
The road reopened about 12:25 a.m. after the crash scene was cleaned up.
The truck, which carried about 10 tons of coal in tandem trailers, was being driven by David Padilla, 50, who works for U.S. Transportation. He was uninjured. No citation has been issued.
Residents along that stretch of road and Colorado Highway 140 between Hesperus and the New Mexico line often complain that coal trucks travel at high speeds and take up too much space on the narrow roads.
Chris Dorenkamp, with GCC of America, said the company has been making road improvements in accordance with La Plata County government requirements.
shane@durangoherald.com
