Vicksburg Fire Department Capt. Karl Minor, far right, pulls away the shattered windshield of an 18-wheeler that turned over at U.S. 61 North and North Washington Street Wednesday. A wood loader driven by Johnny McCool II was used to assist the fire department in the rescue of the driver, Tommy Lee Huggins, who was trapped in the truck. Huggins later died.(The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[04/11/02]A Jackson truck driver died Wednesday after the load of lumber he was carrying shifted, dumping his 18-wheeler onto its side and pinning him beneath.

Tommie Lee Huggins, 61, 3470 Elraing Blvd., died after his truck flipped onto the driver’s side at Washington Street and U.S. 61 North.

He was pronounced dead at River Region Medical Center at 3 p.m. by Warren County Coroner John Thomason.

Thomason said Huggins, a driver for H&L Cartage in Pearl, was hauling about 20 pallets of stacked pressed wood.

Huggins was southbound on U.S. 61 North, rounding a curve near North Washington Street when the truck flipped and slid, Vicksburg Police spokesman Jamee Carter said.

“He evidently had his window down and tried to brace himself with his left arm on the cab when it flipped,” Thomason said, adding that Huggins was wearing a seatbelt but was dragged and pinned with his arm under the truck. He said the 911 call was reported at 1:42 p.m.

Huggins was on his second run to Port Gibson from Anderson-Tully on North Washington Street, Thomason said.

He said Huggins died enroute to River Region.

H&L Cartage owner John Goodman was at the hospital and at the accident scene Wednesday afternoon.

“He was the greatest guy and a good driver,” Goodman said of Huggins, who had driven for H&L for 12 years. “This was just a freak accident. We just can’t understand what happened.”

The accident was the third vehicle fatality in Warren County this year.