
A tractor trailer was stuck blocking a southbound lane of Route 16 on Monday night after the driver mistook a lawn for a parking lot, sinking his rig into the dirt.
The incident occurred on December 11th at approximately 7:00 p.m. in Olean, New York.
Police say an unidentified truck driver pulled into a grassy lot next to a Chuck Wagon restaurant, thinking it was a parking lot. When he realized it was not, the driver tried to back up, but got stuck in the soft dirt, leaving a portion of the tractor trailer blocking the southbound lane of Route 16.
“Truck drivers are only allowed to drive for so many hours and he was up on hours, so he was looking for a parking spot,” said Fire Chief Kelly Karst to the Olean Times Herald.
“The truck was loaded, and he drove it into some grass instead of pavement and so the truck sank in the dirt. When he tried to back up the trailer, he ended up in the middle of the road.”
No injuries were sustained in the incident, but crews spent about an hour and a half removing the semi truck from the dirt, blocking the southbound lane of traffic. the accident has since been cleared.