Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

FRENCHTOWN- A semi-truck driver went into the Crossroads Travel Center at the Frenchtown Wye at around 6:40 a.m. Friday and when he returned, was surprised to see his truck missing.

"He failed to reset his breaks when he jumped out, went inside, and when he came back out, he couldn't find his truck," said Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Rob Strauch.

The truck rolled across the lot and knocked out three large phone boxes. Not only were some Frenchtown and Missoula residents without phone and Internet service, but the outage also interrupted local business.

Travel center owner Dave Campbell said it's affecting his business in a big way. "We are without all of our credit cards, ATM, Internet service, [it's] all down," Campbell said.

Centurylink crews are working to get power restored, but it will take a couple of days until full service is back with spokesman John Bemis saying they must now find a way to get the necessary equipment they don't have in stock.

Strauch said digital service providers don't always have extras of equipment. "They don't expect to have it all wiped out on one shot."

In the meantime, the outage is forcing Crossroads to turn away customers, since the ATM and credit card machines are down.

"So, we're losing all of that business," Campbell said. "The only business we're gonna be able to take is the cash business.

The truck driver was issued a citation for failing to set his brakes.