Hospers, Iowa — A South Dakota man was taken to a hospital after the semi-tractor he was driving caught flame and entered a ditch on Highway 60 near Hospers early Wednesday, July 28th.
According to the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, about 2:00 a.m., 66-year-old Delbert Pieschke of Clear Lake, SD was driving a 2000 Peterbilt semi-tractor pulling a trailer transporting PVC scrap southbound on Highway 60, two miles south of Hospers. Pieschke reported the semi-tractor caught fire in the engine area, and he lost control of the vehicle, which entered the median, continued across the northbound lanes of Highway 60, and entered the ditch southeast of the roadway. Pieschke was able to exit the vehicle but the semi-tractor became engulfed by fire.
The Hospers Ambulance took Pieschke to Orange City Area Health.
The semi-tractor and trailer sustained approximately $125,000 in damage.
The sheriff’s office reports that the Hospers Fire Department, Hospers Ambulance, Granville Fire Department, and Orange City Police Department assisted with the response to the accident, which they say remains under investigation.
