Aug. 21, 2001 – Police said a loaded cement mixer lost control and overturned on King Hill Road Tuesday morning.
According to Lt. Joseph Gumbs, St. John watch commander, the Majestic Construction truck, driven by Earl E. Dawson and containing "seven yards of cement," overturned around 10 a.m. Tuesday. No injuries were reported, and no other vehicles were involved, he said.
No information was available as to how extensively the truck was damaged. The police report attributed the accident to the truck having "lost power on hill." Cement trucks and other heavy vehicles rely on power-assisted brakes to control their speed while descending hills.
A witness, Torin Zielenski, said the accident occurred within V.I. National Park boundaries on a hill between Annaberg and Maho Bay. Zielenski, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, said he and fellow Coast Guard member Scott Howell happened to be in the area and contained "the minimal hydraulic fluid spill" from the truck using some absorbent pads they had with them. No cement or diesel fuel was leaking from the truck, he said.
Gumbs said no citation was issued and that the accident remained under investigation.
