WINONA – It took nearly 10 hours to clean up an overturned semi-truck and the load of beer it was carrying on Interstate 55 early Friday morning.
According to Trooper Michael Peeples, on July 14, 2017, he was dispatched to a one-vehicle crash in the southbound lane of Interstate 55 at mile marker 189 at approximately 2:30 a.m.
Peeples said Osmel Marquez, 64, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., was heading south on Interstate 55 when his 2007 Freightliner, hauling a load of beer, veered off the right shoulder, flipped on its side, and slid into a guardrail.
“The driver stated that animals ran across the highway and he swerved to avoid hitting them and went off the right side of the road,” Peeples said. “The truck flipped over and slid into the guardrail.”
Peeples said the guardrail came into the cab of the truck but missed the driver. The cargo spilled out of the trailer when the truck flipped.
“It came through the top of the trailer,” Peeples said.
Peeples said the driver, who was wearing his seatbelt, was transported by MedStat to Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital in Winona with non-life-threatening injuries.
Peeples said it took Parker Wrecker Service until 12:30 p.m. Friday to finish clearing debris from the accident.
