Dump truck flips at eastern edge of the Palisades, trapped driver saved

A dump truck turning east onto Reservoir Road NW from Foxhall Road NW flipped over on its side around noon on Monday, trapping the driver in the vehicle, according to Metropolitan Police. MPD said firefighters successfully extracted the driver of the truck who was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

A witness to the crash told PoPville they called 911 when the truck started smoking after it flipped.

Update crash with entrapment intersection of Salem Ln., Foxhall & Reservoir Rds NW. Driver of overturned dump truck has been extricated by #DCsBravest & is being transported with non life threatening injuries.

— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) December 6, 2021

The witness said instead of crashing into the vehicles parked along Reservoir Road, the driver struck a pole and turned onto its side in front of residences at the intersection of Reservoir and Foxhall. Residents who live directly behind where the dump truck flipped, who said they heard the crash from inside their home, declined to comment for The Wash.

Local resident Ray Montgomery was walking up Reservoir when he stumbled on the accident. 

“Drivers in this town just need to be careful,” Montogomery said. “I hate seeing stuff like this, you never want to see any type of accident, especially along this part of the road where it’s pretty residential and has tons of traffic.”

“When I came from my job site the truck was turned over so I wanted to see what was going on,” said a nearby construction worker who only provided their name to The Wash as D.P.. “I saw the tow truck come down, and I wanted to see how in the world they’re going to flip it back over.”

MPD blocked off a sizable portion of Reservoir Road, from the intersection of Reservoir Road NW and 44th Street NW up to the scene of the accident, turning oncoming traffic back around.

A tow truck arrived on scene shortly after the driver was taken to the hospital.

Bystanders, like Montgomery, were concerned the truck was going to roll down Reservoir once flipped upright.

“I don’t want this thing rolling down this hill once they flip it back over,” he said.

Accidents involving overturned dump trucks aren’t new in the District. Earlier this year, a dump truck flipped in Southeast D.C, spilling concrete along Pennsylvania and Minnesota Avenues SE. 

The overturned dump truck in the Palisades was carrying dirt.