SC truck driver charged following spill in Va.

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — Police have charged a South Carolina trucker whose rig wrecked on a Virginia mountain and spilled embalming fluid.

Media outlets report that 61-year-old David H. Bennett of Conway, South Carolina, is charged with failure to obey a highway sign and failure to maintain control.

Roanoke County police say a tractor-trailer driven by Bennett overturned off the side of Windy Gap Mountain on Wednesday morning. The truck was hauling about 4,800 gallons of embalming fluid.

Bennett suffered minor injuries.

Authorities closed Virginia Route 116 and evacuated about 20 homes. Residents were allowed to return to their homes around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The Virginia Department of Transportation says the highway reopened around 12:25 a.m. Thursday.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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