Giant Wind Turbine Blade Falls Onto Highway, Snarling Traffic and Leaving 1 Injured

A large wind turbine caused traffic delays and one injury after falling off the back of a truck in Washington County, Maryland.

Video released by MDOT (Maryland Department of Transportation) shows the crash near Exit 26 on Interstate 70 where a tractor-trailer was hauling a large wind turbine when the machinery came loose and fell, hitting the opposite lane of traffic on the highway. The crash was reported at 5 a.m. Monday. The roads were cleared by 8 a.m.

One person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, ABC-7 reported. The crash led to partial highway closures. Wind turbines can be more than 170 feet long.

“At approximately 5:30 a.m., a tractor trailer traveling westbound on I-70 was pulling a wind turbine blade that struck the guardrail causing the blade to go partially into the eastbound lanes,” the Maryland State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) said in a statement. “The blade was then clipped by a tractor trailer traveling eastbound.”

Authorities said a guardrail was cut and the wind turbine was moved to an off-ramp to reopen the interstate.

“Heavy tow crews were able to back the truck up after the guardrail was cut out and get the trailer back onto the westbound lanes. The entire unit was then driven up to I-70 west of Maryland Route 63 and parked on the wide shoulder,” SHA said.

Watch above via ABC 7-WJLA.

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