Trucks' shifting concrete slab closes Route 47 in Sugar Grove

A one-vehicle accident shut down Route 47 in Sugar Grove for almost seven hours Monday afternoon and evening.

A chain securing a prefabricated concrete piece of a parking deck being hauled north broke when the truck braked, and the load shifted, crashing into the cab of its trailer truck. It happened around noon near Prairie Street. The wreck was moved to the side of the road. But at 3 p.m. a crane arrived to remove the broken concrete from the trailer, and the entire road had to be shut down. The crane had to be placed in the middle of the road because of overhead power lines on the east side of the roadway, Sugar Grove Police Investigator John Sizer said. Cleanup took until 9:30 p.m.

Truck driver Joseph Durham, 43, of Roberts, Ill., was treated and released from Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, police said. The trailer is owned by Illini Precast of Westchester.

Sizer said Sugar Grove police ticketed Durham for failure to secure his load.

The Illinois State Police is also investigating the accident since it has the authority to inspect trucks for safety.