The truck struck this guardrail on the southbound side of U.S. 43 near the old Wagarville rest area. (SA photo by Jeremy Sellers) SA Reporter

An early morning wreck just south of Wagarville caused traffic to be hectic for more than eight hours on Tuesday.

The driver of the 18-wheeler, Franklin Lee Davis, 26, of Eutaw, apparently lost control of the load of countertops he was carrying to Mobile. He was driving for Werner Enterprises out of Omaha, Neb. and suffered only minor injuries in the crash.

When the truck left the road, it struck a lightwire causing power to go down in south Wagarville. Power companies supported the lightwire above the truck-trailer in order for work crews to remove it.

Southbound lanes were blocked for nearly five hours as crews removed the wreckage. Traffic was routed around to the inside lane of the northbound side.

Wagarville Volunteer Fire Department assisted Alabama

State Trooper Singleton, Clarke-Washington Electric and the ALDOT in cleanup efforts. They used over 1,000 gallons of water to clean debris, sand and diesel fuel off of highway 43.

Crews worked to remove this tractor-trailor rig from a ditch after it slammed into the guardrail of the bridge near the old Wagarville rest area and left the road, tearing down powerlines. The wreck forced emergency workers to divert southbound traffic on U.S. 43 to the northbound side. (SA photo by Jeremy Sellers)