Tractor Trailer Rolls Into Trees Off Pickett

A tractor trailer carrying 8,800 pounds of fuel rolled 25 feet into the woods off Pickett Road Saturday afternoon. No fuel or other hazardous material was spilled, though traffic was delayed on Pickett into the night.

At around 1:30 p.m. the trailer driver noticed his brakes were low on pressure as he topped a hill on Pickett Road. Paul Wanyoike, 41, of Gaithersburg Md. pulled over near Silver King Court and jumped out to check the trailer. As he made his way around the trailer, it started to roll, according to Sgt. Joe Johnson of the . Wanyoike raced back to the cab and steered the trailer off Pickett Road towards the trees.

The tanker broke the sidewalk and finally came to a rest 25 feet into the wood line. There it stayed until the evening. Police and fire set up flood lights and equipment at the scene. Another tractor trailer was sent to unload the fuel from Wanyoike's trailer so it could be towed from the scene.

Wanyoike was charged with failure to set parking brake and defective equipment.