Alton, Iowa — Multiple hogs were loose in the dark on a major northwest Iowa thoroughfare, and authorities advised people to avoid the area for several hours overnight Thursday into Friday after a semi mishap near Alton.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office reports that a few minutes before 9 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, 35-year-old Lucas Koenen of Steinauer, Nebraska was driving a 2000 Kenworth semi-tractor pulling a livestock trailer southbound on Highway 60, a mile south of Alton, when he lost control of the vehicle. The truck rolled onto its side and entered the median.
No injuries were reported to humans, but the livestock loss in the accident is unknown, according to authorities. Sioux County Chief Deputy Nate Huizenga says that most units had cleared from the scene by 1:30 to 2:00 a.m. Friday morning.
Authorities tell us the truck and trailer sustained approximately $145,000 in damage.
They say Koenen was cited on a charge of failure to maintain control of a motor vehicle.
The sheriff’s office reports the Alton Ambulance Squad, Alton Fire Department, and the Orange City Police Department assisted with the response to the accident.
