(Le Mars) — A semi truck and tanker trailer overshot a highway intersection and overturned spilling corn syrup into the ditch. The accident occurred early Wednesday morning at about 2:25 a.m. at the junction of Highway 60 and Highway 75, near Fedder’s RV Sales, about a mile north of Le Mars. The male driver was exiting Highway 60 heading southwest on the off ramp when he missed turning on to Highway 75. The truck and tanker then went into the north ditch and rolling on its side. The accident caused the tanker trailer to be punctured causing corn syrup to spill. The Iowa Department of Transportation was called to the scene to help with traffic control, as well as to bring in a load of sand with a payloader construction tractor. The sand was dumped it in the ditch to create a dam to prevent the corn syrup from flowing into a waterway, and to act as an absorbent. The driver was conscious after the accident and sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to the Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars by means of the Le Mars Ambulance Service. Initial investigation shows the semi, owned by Cliff Veissman Inc, was southbound on Hwy #60 and took the 120 off ramp. The driver, Arnold Severson, 77, of Clear Lake, SD, stated that he was unable to locate the brake and went through the stop sign of the off ramp, crossed Highway #75 and went
into the north ditch of the bypass on ramp. The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department, along with the Le Mars Police and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office all responded to the accident scene. Two other semi truck drivers that witnessed the accident claim the overturned tanker narrowly missed colliding with their trucks when the accident had occurred.
