No one was injured, but a section of Highway 20 was closed to traffic early Monday morning when a semi truck tipped over, blocking both lanes.

Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue Chief Jerry Helm said the driver of the nearly empty semi truck was southbound on the highway shortly after 4 a.m. April 3 when he left the lane on the southbound side and lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over near Welcher Road east of Coupeville.

Helm said he did not know what caused the driver to leave the lane. The driver was not injured, and no other vehicles were involved in the accident. Washington State Trooper Kelsey Harding said the driver received a ticket for negligent driving in the second degree.

Traffic was diverted between Squire Road and Welcher Road for nearly four hours while emergency personnel responded to the scene.

Helm said the primary reason for the length of the delay was that responders had to track down the correct size of tow truck to accommodate such a massive vehicle.

“The biggest challenge was the size of the truck,” he said in an interview.

Responders eventually brought in trucks from Mount Vernon and Bellingham to roll the semi back onto its wheels and tow it away. The highway was reopened shortly before 8 a.m.

Photos provided