Motorist paints the town
A section of Main Street was closed off for over an hour beginning around 2 p.m. yesterday after an unidentified motorist with a truckload of garbage dumped several gallons of green and white paint on the street.
The incident prompted police, fire department and public works employees, along with private citizens, and a city alderman, to join in the cleanup effort.
According to public works employee Brad Hennessee, the accident left quite a mess and could have caused paint damage to passing vehicles, as well as the street, if it had not been cleaned up promptly.
‘As far as we know, somebody dropped what looks like several gallons of paint in buckets out of the back of a truck and left it,’ Hennessee said. ‘Jimmy Haley was around and saw it right after it happened. He called around looking for help and wound up with about as much help from private citizens as he did from the city.’
Though the fire department and public works responded promptly, Spring Street residents Scott Wilson and his son, Brian, also joined in the cleanup process.
They were joined in the process by public works employee Bud Morrison, firemen Jason Nunley and Rick Powers, and police officers Kenneth Seagraves and Heath Luttrell, all of whom worked to remove the wet paint before it could be spread along Main Street.
‘Those guys from the fire department have gone above and beyond in getting this cleaned up,’ Hennessee said. ‘Mike Neal from the music store came out and helped get the street blocked off. The public works department, the police and fire departments and the private citizens all did a great job.’
Scott Wilson said he and son Brian just happened on the scene.
‘We came here to talk with Jimmy and saw him running out with a bucket and scrub brushes and just decided we’d help him scrub the street,’ Wilson said.
Haley said he was glad local citizens and city employees were so quick to come out to help.
‘It was a real mess, paint everywhere,’ Haley said. ‘But everybody came out to help, and the rest is history.’