Semi-trailer truck crashes in ditch on I-80 near Colfax

A driver of a semi-trailer truck received no life-threatening injuries after his rig fell into a ditch Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 80 near Jasper County.

The truck was traveling westbound along an area of the highway currently under construction between the exits for Colfax and Mitchellville.

Currently, the stretch of road is under a 55 mph speed zone, rather than 70 mph.

The left lane is also coned off from motorists and new lines have been added, sometimes forcing traffic traveling in the right lane to move across rumble strips and into the shoulder.

A witness told Newton News the truck’s tires dipped past the shoulder, causing the vehicle to crash on its side and damage the trailer. Cargo from the trailer had also spilled into the ditch.

Officials from the Colfax Police Department, Colfax Fire Department, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol responded to the scene.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com