A semi driver heading west on Highway 20 got quite a ride early Thursday morning when his vehicle left the road and crashed on to the railroad tracks beneath a bridge.
South Sioux City Fire Chief Doug Koopman reported that the fire department responded to an accident Thursday morning at about 7:31 a.m. on Highway 20 just south of 39th Street and 5th Avenue. A semi-tanker truck had left the roadway, traveld down a bridge embankment and crashed onto the railroad tracks beneath the Highway 20 bridge.
The driver of the semi was extricated by fire department personnel and taken to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Downtown in Sioux City for treatment while authorities worked to clean up the scene, as the tanker portion of the semi had separated into two sections, releasing liquid fertilizer, while the semi’s fuel tanks ruptured, releasing a significant diesel fuel spill.
The fire department was assisted by Dakota County Emergeency Manager, Sioux City Fire Rescue Hazard Materials Unit, area law enforcement agencies and Meier Towing. All train traffic was halted while crews worked into the afternoon to mitigate the incident. Representatives from Burlington Northern Santa Fay and Union Pacific railroads also responded to the scene, and UP’s hazardous materials cleanup team assumed responsibility for the clanup and will oversee needed repairs to damaged railroad track.
Koopman reported that there was no immediate threat to the public, and the semi was eventually removed from the scene by Meier Towing.
