Update 12:30 p.m. — A livestock transport semi-trailer carrying over 1,600 piglets crashed on I-15 near Wolf Creek.
The crash happened at about 7:50 a.m. on Monday near mile marker 225 on the southbound lane near the Wolf Creek exit.
(Video of the crash of I-15. MTN has blurred out the more graphic images of the dead animals.)
The Montana Department of Transportation says that southbound lanes are blocked and likely will remain partially closed for several hours.
Wolf Creek Fire was one of the first responding agencies, and Wolf Creek Fire Chief, Rocky Infanger, says, "Our two biggest things were trying to contain the contents of the semi trailer and keep traffic flow moving, and we are keeping the traffic moving and we are getting the animals contained."
The semi-trailer overturned due to mechanical failure, and the driver sustained minor injuries.
The piglets belonged to producers at the Hutterite community in Milford Colony, just about twenty minutes away from where the accident happened, and were headed to Iowa.
Infanger says, "We had our dispatch notify the Hutterite community these pigs originated from, and they have come down and been assisting in transporting the animals off-site."
The Montana Department of Livestock and the producers loaded up the live animals to take back to their farm. The deceased animals will also return to the farm to be used as oil and fertilizer.
Crews and local law enforcement are working to remove the semi-trailer from the road.
Infanger says you can never truly prepare for these incidents, but they do happen.
"We have had these issues in the past in various places through the canyon, sometimes due to mechanical issues or a load shifting of animals in a trailer," Infanger says. "If it had been a half mile up the road, the interstate would have been completely shut down."
Original Story — A livestock transport semi-trailer carrying pigs has crashed on I-15 near Wolf Creek. An MTN reporter observed the trailer overturned with live and dead pigs on the interstate.
The crash occurred shortly before 8:00 a.m. on Monday near mile marker 226 on the southbound lanes near the Wolf Creek exit. According to the Montana Department of Transportation, both lanes were blocked due to the incident.
We will provide more information as it becomes available.
Editor’s note: This is story has been updated after speaking with officials
