Herald photo by Lisa Majors-Duff
A blown front tire apparently caused a second tractor-trailer accident in as many weeks, this one on U.S. 74 at Barkers Creek. Steve Sylvester McKee, 36, of Decatur, Ga., was traveling east on U.S. 74 when his right front tire blew, causing him to run off the road and "bounce along the guardrail" for more than 400 feet, said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper S.K. Bowers. A slight curve in the road combined with the momentum of the truck caused it to tip, he said. The truck, owned by Ameriserve of Forest Park, Ga., was loaded with 35,000 pounds of fruits, vegetables and frozen foods bound for Taco Bell restaurants in Sylva and Franklin, he said. With the accident in such close proximity to the Tuckaseigee River, county emergency management officials were called to contain any fuel leak, but none was found, Bowers said. Others responding included the Qualla Fire and Rescue Department, WestCare EMS and the Department of Agriculture, which inspected the food before it could be transported. McKee was only slightly injured in the accident and did not receive medical attention. Another tractor-trailer accident Feb. 11 in Sylva left three people injured when David Bulco, 42, of Waynesville, lost his brakes at the intersection of U.S. 23 and Main Street. Bulco was charged with reckless driving to endanger, improper brakes and failure to reduce speed in that accident.
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