Septic tank overturned in Cherokee affecting traffic, ‘the fresh air’

An overturned septic tank, that had to unloaded to be put back on it wheels, made East Cherokee Drive at Copper Ridge Drive unpleasant to drive through Tuesday morning.

Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Cherokee County Sheriff's Office

An overturned septic tank, that had to unloaded to be put back on it wheels, made East Cherokee Drive at Copper Ridge Drive unpleasant to drive through Tuesday morning.

Morning commutes usually stink.

But add traffic and the smell from an overturned septic tank on a two-lane road, and that was the ride into work for some Cherokee County drivers Tuesday.

A trucker hauling the septic tank went off the road, over-compensated and turned over about 8:45 a.m., said Lt. Jay Baker, Cherokee Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

He said speed likely played a factor in the wreck, which happened at East Cherokee Drive and Copper Ridge Drive in Woodstock.

The driver was taken to Northside Hospital in Cherokee with non-life-threatening injuries.

The department posted pictures of the tanker on Facebook at 10:20 a.m. with a caption reading that "traffic (and the fresh air) is affected."

Baker said that though there were no signs any contents spilled out, the tank — which is where the not-great smell comes from — had to be emptied so crews could put the rig on its wheels.

one lane was open for most of the morning and traffic was expected to be back to normal about 1 p.m.

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