50 Hogs Die When Semi Flips DowntownAbout 100 pigs were injured or killed when a semi tractor-trailer rolled over in front of Marsh Supermarket in Warsaw Tuesday morning, closing Ind. 15 for about three hours.
Around 11:25 a.m. Tuesday, a semi driven by Glenn Kleinheksel, 57, of Holland Mich., was turning left on Buffalo Street from Winona Avenue when the load in his truck shifted, causing the truck to tip on its right side. The truck, which is owned by Dykhuis Farm Inc., of Holland, Mich., was hauling the pigs to Silver Lake when it rolled over.The truck and trailer came to rest on the tree lawn in front of the Village Pantry Convenience Store on Buffalo Street. Five pigs that got loose during the crash were rounded up by bystanders.
The triple-deck livestock trailer was carrying about 500 pigs at the time of the crash. Fifty of the pigs were injured and about 50 pigs were killed.
Brandon Hill, finishing production manager with Dykhuis Farms, said it was an unfortunate situation, but all the help at the scene minimized the situation. The quick effort kept the loss at a minimum.
Hill said there were very few losses thanks to the quick reaction of everyone that helped.
Kleinheksel was not injured in the accident, but Hill said he was a little shaken up. Hill said Kleinheksel was not sure how the accident happened, but the weight of the vehicle possibly shifted, causing the truck to overturn.
"We put experienced drivers to use so we do not have this kind of situation," Hill said.
Kleinheksel has been with the company for 20 years, and Hill said he is a good driver.
Luckily, Hill said, an R&T truck was also passing through with an empty truck and the R&T driver saw the accident.
The remaining pigs were transferred to the other livestock trailer, causing Ind. 15 to be closed between Winona Avenue and Prairie Street for about three hours.
Once the pigs were transferred, the overturned truck was uprighted and the scene was cleaned.
Hill said the company wants to thank everyone who assisted at the accident scene. He said they appreciated the help of the Warsaw Fire Dept., Warsaw Street Dept., Kosciusko County Sheriff's Dept., area farmers and R&T Trucking.
"There was just a lot of outpouring of help," Hill said.
Warsaw Police officers were assisted at the scene by WPD animal control, Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department and animal control, Warsaw Fire Department, Warsaw Street Department and Winona Lake Police.
Several bystanders, farmers and people passing by that provided assistance as well.
