Marathon tanker rollover results in minor injuries

WORLAND – An early-morning, one-vehicle accident on Wyoming Highway 433 outside Worland on Monday resulted in an all-day operation to safely offload 1,100 gallons of crude oil, and a driver transported to Washakie Medical Center with a head injury.

According to responding Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Regina Shulmeister, Marathon Pipleline trucker driver Douglas Pierce of Powell was traveling down Hwy. 433 (West River Road) at a normal rate of speed when he became distracted and drove on to the shoulder. Trying to correct, Pierce crossed both lanes of traffic, hitting the opposite shoulder and rolling his truck several times.

Spared major injury by wearing his seat belt, Pierce was extracted from his vehicle by the Worland Fired Department and transported to Washakie Medical Center with a head injury and possible broken bones, where he was in stable condition late Monday, according to Shulmeister.

Workers from Marathon arrived later in the day to safely transfer the oil cargo to another transport.

Pierce was issued a citation for failure to maintain a single lane of travel.