BRINKLEY, Ark. — Did you ever get a wake-up — er, rap on the window — call from a highway police officer?
Numerous professional truck drivers did Thursday morning after spending the night on Interstate 40 about halfway between Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee.
The culprit was an unusual mid-November storm that dumped up to 2 inches of snow in parts of eastern Arkansas Wednesday afternoon and evening, resulting in numerous wrecks, including pile-ups in the westbound lanes of the White River bridge that caused a back-up of traffic on I-40 that stretched over 30 miles from the bridge to near Palestine, Arkansas.
Police said after it became apparent that the road was going to be closed for hours upon end, many drivers retreated to their sleeper berths.
At 6:30 a.m. Thursday, the back-up stretched from mile marker 205 (five miles east of the bridge) to mile marker 233 at Palestine.
A news report on Little Rock television station KARK showed an Arkansas Highway Police officer going from truck to truck banging on windows to awaken snoozing drivers.
By 8 a.m., traffic was beginning to return to normal.
Brinkley, Arkansas, is located about 63 miles east of Little Rock.
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The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
