A Truck full of sugar beets overturned near East Grand Forks on October 2, 2008. The driver and his passenger were OK, but the driver suffered a cut on his head. Apparently the truck turned the corner too fast and lost control. A semi hauling sugar beets rolled over south of East Grand Forks this morning, spilling its load onto the road, shoulder, ditch and beyond.

The crash, which was reported around 9 a.m., left the rig lying on its side in the middle of Highway 220, causing authorities to block off a stretch of the road.

The driver and a passenger, both men, were in the cab when it rolled. The driver suffered a cut to his head.
Law enforcement and rescue personal standby on Minnesota Highway 220 South of East Grand Forks at the site of an overturned beet truck this morning (John Stennes, Herald photographer)
Law enforcement and rescue personal

“He’s doing fine,” said State Patrol Sgt. Dean Smith.

Smith did not know the passenger’s condition and he declined to name the two men.

Smith said his department was investigating the crash, but a preliminary inspection of the scene revealed the cause was likely “a combination of driver error and speed.”

“It came into a corner a little too fast,” he said.

Smith said a witness told authorities the northbound truck was traveling “fast” as it came into a turn where Highway 200 veers east at an intersection with Polk County Road 238.

Apparently October 2 is the first day of the beet harvest and this was the first overturned truck of the season. Unfortunately it wasn’t the last and there were a few fatalities during this year’s beet harvest.

I must say I didn’t know the beet harvest was so dangerous.

 

WDAY News 6