BENTON – A three vehicle collision injured two people and slowed traffic for several hours on the Purchase Parkway at the Benton exit today. Reports of the incident came in around 10:40 a.m. after a red SUV, merging onto the Parkway northbound, failed to yield the right of way to a Dodge truck pulling a pontoon boat.
According to Marshall County Chief Deputy David Maddox, the SUV made contact with the truck and boat as they merged onto the Parkway, causing the truck to veer into the left lane and into the path of a semi hauling hogs.
The truck and pontoon boat exited the Parkway, coming to final rest in the median. The left side of the truck was embedded in the boat making extraction difficult for the wrecker service.
The SUV was also damaged as it left the roadway a short distance further down the road. The collision ruptured the semi’s fuel tank, threatening the load of animals contained in the trailer.
Firefighters arrived on scene and were able to activate the semi’s misting system to prevent the hogs from overheating.
Due to the mass amount of fuel spilled at the scene, Marshall County Emergency Management and a representative with the Environmental Protection Agency also responded to the scene.