South Dakota, Transportation

Semi overturns at Jefferson on-ramp Tuesday afternoon

Big rig pulled into a ditch by tall grass. Driver uninjured.

By Gary Dickson Editor, Siouxland Observer

May 14, 2024

Three wreckers work to help pull an overturned semi-truck lying on its side in the ditch back up the hill and get it right side up. The big rig was going to be reentering southbound Interstate 29 at the Jefferson, S.D. on-ramp Tuesday afternoon when the driver turned too wide and the truck was pulled into the tall grass, down the hill and over on its side. (Photo by Gary Dickson)

JEFFERSON, S.D. – A semi-driver learned this afternoon that tall grass along the roadside in springtime can be as dangerous as slushy snow along the road’s shoulders in wintertime.

Webstern Grant-Stovald of Springfield, Mass. was driving a trailer full of snacks from Minnesota at about 2:49 p.m. Tuesday. He had just taken a break at the gas station at the Jefferson, South Dakota exit and had started to turn onto the southbound on-ramp to I-29.

The semi-truck cab and trailer full of snacks from Minnesota were slowly dragged up the hill through the tall grass to the edge of the on-ramp. Then workers from the towing company would use the tow trucks to start to manipulate the big rig to an upright position. (Photo by Gary Dickson)

The only problem was that Grant-Stovald turned his rig too wide getting on the ramp.

The front wheels of his trailer left the road and went into the tall grass on the west side of the ramp. This in turn caused the other wheels to gradually be pulled into the grass.

The tall grass provides cover for a steep hill that drops maybe 20 feet into a ditch that levels out toward the fence line.

Grant-Stovald’s trailer and cab went down the hill and tipped over on its side. Fortunately, the driver wasn’t injured.

Driver Webstern Grant-Stovald looks on anxiously as the towing company gets his semi pulled back up the hill and tipped right side up. (Photo by Gary Dickson)

Later, Grant-Stovald was fuming about the tall grass and how it was allowed to grow so close to the road.

“They really need to put some signs up about that grass and the steep hill the grass covers,” the driver said. “It’s just not safe! Somebody could really get hurt with it like that. You can’t see the edge over there!”

Of course, he didn’t mention anything about turning too wide. But maybe that was implied.

Three large wreckers were called in by the South Dakota Highway Patrol to work on getting the eighteen-wheeler pulled right-side up and back on the entrance ramp.

“I think this is gonna be expensive,” South Dakota Highway Patrol Officer Bryce Finnegan said looking over the wrecked semi and the three wreckers with their tow lines hooked up to it.

Success! Finally, after several hours of maneuvering (and a few curse words uttered) the semi was pulled right side up next to the on-ramp. Although still standing in the luxuriant green South Dakota spring grass, the rig was in a much better place than it was two hours ago. (Photo by Gary Dickson)

The ramp was closed to traffic all afternoon Tuesday and S.D. Highway Patrol Officer Finnegan was just starting his official investigation at 5:30 p.m. after the rig had been righted.

At this time, according to the S.D. Highway Patrol, the investigation into the accident is continuing.

3 thoughts on “Semi overturns at Jefferson on-ramp Tuesday afternoon”

  1. I heard the sheriffs and night patrol security caught the thief that stole the plants in the dunes I hope you can do a story about that

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