An early morning semi-truck and trailer rollover accident resulted in the loss of several hogs.

Greene County Chief Deputy Jack Williams tells Raccoon Valley Radio that at 5:30am Friday, the Greene County Sheriff’s office, Churdan Fire and Rescue and a Department of Transportation Enforcement officer responded to the crash on the Highway 4 curve in Churdan.

The driver, 27 year-old Jacob Bieret of Wall Lake, was traveling south from Nemaha, Iowa to Perry carrying about 150 hogs. Bieret took the curve on Highway 4 too fast, causing the hogs to shift to one side.  The uneven weight distribution forced the trailer and the semi-truck to enter the south ditch and roll onto the passenger side.

Williams notes that Churdan Fire and Rescue used a K12 Rescue Saw to open the trailer and get most of the hogs out safely. Nineteen pigs died in the accident. The remaining hogs were put into another trailer. Bieret was not injured but does face a citation for failure to maintain control. The semi-truck and trailer is owned by Scharn Trucking from Nemaha and sustained disabling damage.