Truck flips in traffic in Birmingham

HOMEWOOD (AP) — A truck hauling items to a department store overturned south of Birmingham on Tuesday, snarling traffic for hours on a busy highway.

The rear section of a tractor-trailer overturned about 10:30 a.m. at the ramp leading from Red Mountain Expressway to U.S. 280, forcing authorities to close the road.

Police Sgt. Ken Atkinson said authorities initially suspected the truck was hauling hazardous materials because it had a placard depicting a skull and crossbones. Workers wore special suits designed to protect against hazardous materials as a precaution.

Investigators got permission from the trucking company to look inside the trailer and discovered a load of home goods bound for a department store, Atkinson said.

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