By Paul Bean

A tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 89 halted traffic about an hour and a half Monday (6/2) afternoon, but the driver escaped largely unharmed with only minor injuries, according to State Police.

The crash occurred around 5:20 p.m. when the driver, identified by WCAX as 42-year-old Mohamed Belaroussi of Montreal, lost control of the truck while heading north, investigators with the Department of Motor Vehicles said. The truck crossed the median into the southbound lanes, then veered back and overturned, blocking both directions of traffic.

Officials have not determined what caused Belaroussi to lose control, and it is unclear whether any charges will be filed. Authorities said he did not require hospitalization. 

Earlier in the day yesterday, while driving to Burlington for an afternoon meeting, a tractor trailer in front of my car swerved into the breakdown lane and nearly crashed into the guardrail due to what appeared to be high winds. Others have speculated this may have been a cause of the incident.

The incident caused significant backups during the evening commute, with both northbound and southbound lanes shut down for more than an hour. The interstate was fully reopened by 7 p.m.