CHIMACUM — The food recovered in the dramatic spill of a large supermarket semi this week is going to a food bank.
But not one in the area where first responders spent more than 10 hours working along chilly state Highway 19 on Monday afternoon and evening.
The food from the Safeway Inc. truck was taken to the chain’s regional distribution center in southern King County and donated to the nearby Auburn Food Bank.
Nick Ericksen, Safeway’s director of retail support, said the semi’s contents that weren’t destroyed, perishable or liquor-related were taken to the food bank.
Ericksen said he did not have an accurate estimate of the food in the truck or the amount donated.
Port Townsend Food Bank Director Shirley Moss said she approached the manager of the Port Townsend Safeway store asking if some of the food could be donated to her bank in Mountain View Commons, 1925 Blaine St.
But Moss said she was not disappointed when this did not occur.
“Food banks are all in this together, and I’m glad that someone was able to benefit from this unfortunate accident,” Moss said.
Some items that were discarded included paper goods and disposable diapers that were used as a makeshift dam to keep oil from the jackknifed semi out of an adjacent creek.
The accident happened at about
2 p.m. Monday about 10 miles south of Port Townsend.
The state highway, also known as Beaver Valley Road, was closed in both directions at Milepost 6 until almost midnight, authorities said.
The State Patrol said the driver, Bradley Billingsley, 54, of Seattle, had fallen asleep at the wheel. He was cited for negligent driving.
fferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
