Truck wreck snarls traffic on Marler Bridge

DESTIN — Traffic was brought to a halt Tuesday afternoon after a moving truck and a cargo truck collided on the Marler Bridge.

The trucks collided about 2:45 p.m. in the westbound lanes about 100 yards from the western foot of the bridge, said Battalion Chief Mike Urenda of the Destin Fire Department.

The driver of the cargo truck, William Nodhturft of Cantonment, was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast with minor injuries, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Nodhturft slowed to pull onto the shoulder because of mechanical trouble, according to an FHP news release.

Timmy Aucoin of Pierre Part, La., was driving a rental moving truck and hit the rear of the cargo truck, the news release said.

Both trucks spun out and hit the bridge’s guardrail, Urenda said.

One of the trucks leaked some fuel onto the bridge that had to be cleaned up, Urenda said.

The trucks blocked both westbound lanes of the bridge for about 90 minutes, Urenda said. Shortly before 4 p.m., the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol were able to reroute westbound traffic into one of the eastbound lanes.

Traffic was slowed for several hours before all lanes were reopened by 5:35 p.m., according to the FHP.

Aucoin was charged with careless driving and failure to provide proof of insurance, the FHP reported.