This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Efforts to transport a truckload of whey in Cache County curdled Tuesday when the driver took a turn too quickly and toppled his trailer.
The Dairy Way Transportation driver turned too quickly in the intersection of 2400 West and Airport Road about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Cache County sheriff's Lt. Mike Peterson. The high speed tipped the trailer, which pulled the cab over with it. Both the cab and the trailer then slid off the road and into an irrigation canal.
The trailer was loaded with 5,000 gallons of whey milk, the sheriff's office reported. Peterson said some of the whey, which is a yellowish by-product of cheese manufacturing, spilled out of the tank. Whey is biodegradable, Peterson said, but HAZMAT crews were called out so local fish populations wouldn't be negatively affected.
The truck also hit a power pole in the crash. Peterson said the pole sheered off. Rocky Mountain Power spokesman David Eskelsen said the crash left 181 customers in Benson, Amalga and Smithfield without electricity from 11:29 a.m. to 2:42 p.m.
The driver of the truck was a new employee of Dairy Way Transportation and was riding with his trainer. Neither man was wearing a seatbelt, according to the sheriff's office, but both managed to climb out of the vehicle after the accident. Crews transported the men to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Sheriff's deputies cited the driver for driving too fast. Officials had not released the name or age of the driver Tuesday afternoon.
Twitter: @jimmycdii