Driver of crashed garbage truck arrested for DUI

This Ellis Sanitation garbage truck overturned on Ky. 296 Monday morning snarling traffic for several hours as emergency workers labored to flip it back over onto its wheels.

A Williamsburg man was allegedly driving impaired when he crashed and overturned a garbage truck near Williamsburg Monday morning.

The crash happened about 10:14 a.m. when Dustin Lee Sumner, 26, of New Zion Road, was driving a 1996 Ford garbage truck, belonging to Ellis Sanitation, on Ky. 296 or North Main Street between Becks Creek and Brush Arbor.

Kentucky State Police Vehicle Enforcement Officers Steven Douglas and Mark Scott responded to the crash scene and determined that the vehicle’s wheels dropped off the roadway causing the truck to overturn on its side leaking garbage, diesel fuel and hydrologic oil into the roadway and ditch line, Douglas said.

No one was injured during the crash, but an AT&T utility pole was damaged and a portion of the road shoulder broke off due to the crash.

No other vehicles were involved.

Traffic had to be turned around at Brush Arbor Road and Beck’s Creek Road for several hours until emergency crews were able to turn the garbage truck back onto its wheels about 3 p.m. and then remove it from the scene.

Williamsburg Police Detective Bobby Freeman arrested Sumner charging him with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs, failure to produce insurance card and failure of non-owner operator to maintain required auto insurance.

Williamsburg Police Sgt. Brandon White, who is a drug recognition expert, conducted some field sobriety tests on Sumner, but some of the tests Sumner couldn’t do due to hip surgery and injuries, according to Sumner’s arrest citation.

Sumner’s breathalyzer test was 0.00, which indicates no presence of alcohol in his system.

A blood test was taken on Sumner at the Care Plus Center in Williamsburg, which is used to test for the presence of any drugs that may have been in Sumner’s system at the time of the crash.

Sumner’s arrest citation indicated that drug involvement is suspected.

Sumner was lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center, and released on bond shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The Williamsburg Police Department, Williamsburg Fire and Rescue, Whitley County Emergency Management, the Kentucky Environmental Protection Agency and the Kentucky Highway Department all assisted at the scene.