The Idaho Transportation Department has suspended the ongoing Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil megaload shipments after a crash south of Moscow on U.S. Highway 95, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports. One of the giant loads of oilfield equipment bound for the Alberta oil sands crashed into a van, causing severe damage and pushing the van into another vehicle; however, no injuries were reported. “This was clearly driver error,” Idaho State Police Capt. Lonnie Richardson told the Daily News. Imperial Oil spokesman Pius Rolheiser told the Moscow newspaper the company “won’t move until we’re confident this won’t happen again.” Click below for a full report from the Associated Press and the Daily News.

(By Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise, The Spokesman-Review)

(Link provided by Linwood Laughy)

A mega-load driver is to blame for an accident Tuesday night that damaged two vehicles.

LEWISTON, ID – Idaho State Police say just before 9:45 a Mammoet driver destined for Canada got confused in the staging area south of Moscow on U.S. 95. Instead of stopping, he continued through the area and hit a van that was stopped for the staging. The van was pushed into the vehicle behind it. No one was injured. ISP said the accident was caused only by driver error. It’s not yet been decided if the driver will be charged. The other two loads in the same convoy continued north.

View video with photos: Megaload Accident

(By Tracci Dial, KLEW TV)

(Link provided by Linwood Laughy)

Driver leaves staging area, striking van with module

The Idaho Transportation Department has suspended further shipments of Imperial Oil refinery modules from the Port of Lewiston following a Tuesday night accident south of Moscow.

Three shipments that left the port Tuesday night were supposed to stop at a staging area on U.S. Highway 95 before traveling through Moscow in a convoy, but one driver attempted to leave the area before southbound traffic was released, said Capt. Lonnie Richardson with Idaho State Patrol Region 2 in Lewiston. The module itself struck a Chevy Astro causing severe damage and minor damage when it was pushed into the vehicle behind it. No one was injured, Richardson said. Continue reading →

MOSCOW – After a noninjury accident on U.S. Highway 95 about one mile south of here, megaload movements through Moscow have been suspended.

The suspension follows an incident Tuesday night, and resumption is pending the filing of an accident mitigation plan, the Idaho State Police reported. Continue reading →

ISP investigating accident involving megaload

MOSCOW – Idaho State Police are investigating a non-injury accident involving a megaload destined for Canadian oil fields Tuesday night just south of town here.

Capt. Lonnie Richardson said the accident involved a van that had been stopped, along with other traffic, and was struck when one of three megaloads moved forward in a staging area. He said police are investigating whether proper safety protocol was followed.

The accident caused delay of three megaloads through town, but eventually all three passed through without further incident, Richardson said.

(The Lewiston Tribune)