Rollover Accident: Route 102 At NK & Exeter Line

EXETER, RI — A box truck rolled over around 6 p.m. at the Exeter and North Kingstown line. Rescue workers used the Jaws of Life to extricate the driver. He was the only occupant of the truck, and he was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening. Route 102 was closed. Firefighters were still on scene at 7:45 p.m. Chief David Chamberlain said the accident is still under investigation, and state police from the Wickford barracks are in charge.

According to Chief Chamberlain, the driver was traveling north on Ten Rod Road (Route 102) when he collided with a telephone pole. His truck, which was delivering a storage container, then went between another telephone pole and a tree and crossed the road near Route 2 (South County Trail). Then the truck rolled over just before the old Bald Hill Farm Nurseries and near Schartner's Farm. Exeter sent three engines to the scene, and North Kingstown Fire responded with a special hazards truck.

The truck was leaking gasoline and other fluids, he said, so "we had something of a haz mat" situation. The state Department of Environmental Management responded for the clean up, he said.

The driver is from a Davisville company, he said.

"He's a lucky man," he said. The accident could have been much worse but fortunately, no other car was coming when his truck rolled over.