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BRIEF: Washout shuts part of Highway 162 in Mendocino CountyDec 21, 2012 (The Press Democrat - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A trucker traveling on rural Highway 162 toward the remote Mendocino County community of Covelo had the road and hillside suddenly give way below him early Friday morning, resulting in a slideout about 25 feet across and 20 feet deep, the CHP said. The slideout closed the highway indefinitely in both directions at a point about 1 3/4 miles east of Highway 101, the CHP said. Motorists were advised to use Dos Rios Road and Mendocino Pass Road as detours. The trucker managed to maneuver his rig most of the way across the slideout as the sodden ground fell away shortly before 6 a.m., though his trailer was damaged when it started to slide downhill with the soil, authorities said. None of its cargo or fuel were lost -- an important point, given the Middle Fork of the Eel River that runs below the highway, officials said. The driver was uninjured, as well, the CHP said. ___ (c)2012 The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.) Visit The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.) at www.pressdemocrat.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |