Another semi full of apples crashes into the Columbia River

A semi-truck full of apples crashed into the Columbia River near Wenatchee Thursday, only days after another semi loaded with apples crashed into the river off State Route 243 in Grant County.

The driver in the Thursday accident is okay, but the semi is submerged next to Highway 2 about 10 miles north of East Wenatchee, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Brian Moore. The trailer broke open and apples are floating down the river toward the Rocky Reach Dam.

The driver was identified as 40-year-old Kyle R. Stanton of Wenatchee. His westbound semi drifted to the right and went through the guardrail and into the river, according to WSP. He will be cited for driving with his wheels off the roadway.

The Chelan County Public Utilities District responded to the scene with a boat to deploy a boom to contain leaking diesel fuel. Moore said removal of the semi is expected to take all night.

The first incident happened on Monday afternoon and the driver of that semi had serious but non-life threatening injuries. The trailer stayed intact and floated downstream toward the Priest Rapids Dam until it got hung up on a sandbar. Officials are still trying to find a way to remove the trailer, Moore said.