Semi Rollover Near Sturgis Leads to Loose Cattle, One Injury

Northeast Radio SD News - Sturgis, SD - A two-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck hauling livestock led to temporary lane closures and loose cattle on Interstate 90 on Friday afternoon.

The incident occurred at approximately 3:05 p.m. near mile marker 29, roughly one mile west of Sturgis.

According to preliminary reports from the South Dakota Highway Patrol, a 2020 Western Star semi-truck carrying 37 head of cattle was traveling eastbound when a 2011 Ford Escape entered the eastbound lanes from a dirt median.

The Ford began traveling at a slow speed in the right-hand lane. In an effort to avoid a collision with the Ford, the 53-year-old driver of the semi braked and swerved. The maneuver caused the semi to trip and roll onto its side in the median.

The impact caused the trailer to open, allowing the cattle to escape onto the interstate. Authorities confirmed that no secondary crashes occurred. Responders drove the livestock to the north side of the highway, and all cattle were eventually loaded into separate trailers.

The driver of the semi-truck, a man from Kent, Minnesota, was transported to a Sturgis hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Ford, a 76-year-old female from Newell, was not injured. Both drivers were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

Eastbound traffic on I-90 was reduced to a single lane for several hours while crews cleared the scene. The interstate was fully reopened at approximately 5:20 p.m.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol, an agency of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, continues to investigate the crash.