CLEARFIELD TWP — A wayward deer was blamed for a crash that injured a trucker and closed all four lanes of Route 422 for several hours early this morning.

The highway near the Butler-Armstrong County line was turned into a metal debris field just before 3:30 a.m. when a westbound tractor-trailer hauling scrap steel overturned.

“The driver swerved to miss a deer and his load tipped over,” said Chief Kevin Hesidenz of the East Butler Volunteer Fire Department.

The rig, marked with the name of a Cresson, Cambria County, company on it, ended on its side stretched across lanes in each direction.

The deer was hit and killed. Firefighters found its carcass among the debris.

The truck driver, believed to be in his 60s, suffered what appeared to be minor injuries. He initially refused medical treatment, authorities said, but later was taken by ambulance to ACMH Hospital near Kittanning.

State police are investigating but an accident report was not immediately available.

“There’s a lot of scrap on the road,” Hesidenz reported from the scene more than two hours after the wreck.

The road was shut down in both directions, between Cornetti Road and Old Route 422, to allow for crews to come in and right the rig and gather up the scrap.

Hesidenz noted that the state Department of Transportation was notified that the highway was damaged in the crash.

“There are gouges in the road that will have to be repaired,” he said.

By 8:30 a.m., the highway remained closed. Officials did not expect the road to reopen for traffic until after 9 a.m.

Assisting police and East Butler VFD were firefighters from Herman and Chicora in Butler County and Worthington in Armstrong County.