December 1, 2024 2:00 p.m. 

A section of southbound Interstate 5 was closed for hours after a semi-truck accident on Saturday night.

An Oregon State Police report said at about 9:55 p.m. troopers responded to the accident at the south Cottage Gove exit.

A semi-truck hauling a flatbed trailer loaded with wire spools was headed south when the vehicle left the travel lane and struck the shoulder’s guardrail. The 35-year-old operator overcorrected causing the semi and trailer to roll onto its passenger side and slid down the highway for more than 200 feet. The semi came to rest pinned between the concrete jersey barrier and guardrail, completely blocking southbound travel.

The driver extricated himself from the cab and was not injured. No other vehicles or individuals were involved in the crash.

With the assistance of the Oregon Department of Transportation and a tow company, one southbound lane reopened after about 2 hours. In addition, off-duty first responders and witnesses to the crash, including a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant and a Myrtle Creek Fire Department volunteer, jumped in to assist where needed.

The report said fatigue is believed to have contributed to the wreck. The driver was cited for careless driving.

The accident led to a long back-up of vehicles headed south following the Oregon Ducks game in Eugene.