TIM SMITH/BRANDON SUN
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Workers remove hogs from a semi-trailer that rolled onto its side on the Trans-Canada Highway five kilometres west of Kemnay on Tuesday afternoon. The driver of the semi was not injured. Some hogs were injured in the crash and many were trapped in the flipped rig until firefighters and other workers could properly free them.
Several hogs are dead following a semi rollover on the Trans-Canada Highway five kilometres west of the Kemnay turnoff.
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Workers remove hogs from a semi-trailer that rolled onto its side five kilometres west of Kemnay on Tuesday afternoon. (TIM SMITH/BRANDON SUN)
Allea Wolfe, who farms south of Rivers and owns pasture hogs, was one of the first people on the scene of the accident.
Wolfe immediately tried to corral some of the hogs who managed to escape through holes in the top of trailer.
"There were a bunch (of hogs) heading to the other side of the road so I came to make sure they didn’t get to the road," Wolfe said. "I didn’t want a traffic accident or any of the pigs to get out onto the road."
As the eastbound truck and trailer lay on its side, hogs trapped inside the twisted metal squealed in fear.
"The ones in the truck are on top of each other, (EMS crews) haven’t gotten them out yet because they don’t want more of them wandering around," Wolfe said.
"Every now and then, the squealing gets very loud and it is making all of the pigs outside of the truck really nervous."
Several pigs suffered from large gashes and were bloodied as a result of the accident. Another was put down by a municipal officer.
"There are a couple of pigs that are laying down panting really heavy," Wolfe said. "A lot of them have blood on them."
Emergency crews from Brandon and the RM of Whitehead established a corral around the truck to ensure the safety of the hogs and passing motorists.
The trucking company, Steve’s Livestock Transport, was also on-site dealing with the care of the animals, RCMP said.
A representative for the trucking company confirmed the driver of the semi was not injured, but declined to comment about the accident.
A number of hogs were injured or killed in the accident, RCMP said, but the exact number of dead hogs was unknown at press time.
» ctweed@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition May 9, 2012
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