About a dozen cattle died early Friday (02.23) morning when a semi crashed in northeast Iowa.
The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office says the wreck occurred around 3 am Friday near mile marker 50 on Interstate 380. Their investigation determined that Delbert Miller of Stacyville fell asleep at the wheel of his Kenworth semi while traveling northbound.Â
In doing so, he lost control of the rig, which entered the median, crashed through a guardrail and struck a cement bridge rail. The semi then overturned, went over the bridge rail and into Lime Creek below the bridge. Â
Immediately after the initial crash, a pickup operated by Michael McAlister of Austin, Minnesota, then struck some debris in the roadway, causing about $1,500 in damage to his vehicle. Â
No injuries were reported and Miller was subsequently cited for failure to maintain control. Â
The semi’s cattle trailer was loaded with approximately 60 cows, with 12-15 of the cows either killed in the crash or otherwise died following the wreck. I-380 was reduced to one lane for several hours while the investigation and clean-up/recovery took place. Â
The Iowa State Patrol, Buchanan County Emergency Management, Brandon Fire Department, North Benton Ambulance, Linn County Regional Hazmat Team, and Iowa DOT also assisted at the scene.
