An 18-wheeler carrying millions of dimes overturned in the southbound lanes of U.S. 81/287 near Farm Road 1655, closing part of the highway for hours, officials say.
ALVORD, Texas — An overturned 18-wheeler hauling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of loose change — dimes to be specific — closed part of U.S. 81/287 in Alvord for hours Tuesday, officials confirm.
The 18-wheeler overturned in the southbound lanes of U.S. 81/287 near Farm Road 1655 around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, scattering millions of dimes across the roadway and closing the highway, the Wise County Messenger first reported and Alvord Fire officials confirm.
A spokesperson for DPS said the eight million dimes totaled $800,000.
According to DPS, the crash happened after the driver veered off the roadway, overcorrected, and rolled onto its side. The truck driver and a passenger were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and are stable, DPS said.
Wise County resident Sebastian Vasquez was driving to work when he witnessed the aftermath of the incident.
“I saw a truck flipped over, I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ Vasquez said. “I almost came out here with a bucket so I can fill it up with some dimes.”
WFAA chopper footage showed crews on scene working to clear scattered dimes from the roadway. They sifted through dirt and even hand-picked the dimes one by one.
Crews worked past 6 p.m. Meanwhile, the highway closure led to traffic backups.
This is a developing story. WFAA will update this story as additional information becomes available.