MOUNT VERNON — A semi rolled over on Interstate 90 on Tuesday morning in Aurora County, blocking traffic
The crash occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m., 4 miles west of Mount Vernon at I-90 mile marker 315.
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety said the crash occurred when the truck was traveling west and the driver lost control of the truck. The semi and fully loaded trailer went into the median and rolled into the eastbound lanes of traffic and landed on the pavement with the driver's side down.
Orlando Opopesa, 59, of Hialeah, Florida was driving a 2020 Freightliner Cascadia semi-truck and trailer at the time of the crash. He suffered minor injuries and was taken to Avera Queen of Peace Hospital to be treated. Opopesa was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Charges related to the crash are pending, the department said.
A 39-year-old male passenger, who was in the truck's sleeper berth at the time of the crash, was uninjured.
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Smaller vehicles were diverted around the interstate at Exit 310 and detoured using Old Highway 16. Larger vehicles had to wait until a lane of traffic could be reopened, authorities said.
The eastbound lanes were re-opened about 4 1/2 hours after the crash at around 2 p.m. Tuesday. The South Dakota Highway Patrol was handling the investigation.
