(WAUPUN) Drivers heading north on U.S. Highway 151 Wednesday morning ran into an unexpected mess after a semi hauling tens of thousands of pounds of beer overturned and shut down the roadway.
The crash happened just after 6:15 a.m. near the intersection of U.S. 151 and State Highway 26 in the Town of Chester, according to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators say a 2015 Peterbilt tractor-trailer left the roadway, struck a guardrail and rolled over, blocking both northbound lanes.
The commercial motor vehicle was hauling about 40,000 pounds of beer kegs. Witnesses reported that kegs were scattered across the highway following the crash, adding to the cleanup and slowing efforts to reopen the road.
The driver, a 61-year-old man from Marshall, Wisconsin, was the only person involved. No additional injuries were reported.
Northbound U.S. 151 was closed between the State Highway 26 off-ramp and on-ramp as crews worked the scene. Traffic was being detoured off the highway and immediately back on, with officials warning of delays and backups, especially at the Highway 26 crossing. The closure was expected to last for an extended period while the semi was offloaded before it could be removed.
Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including the Waupun Fire Department, Waupun Police Department, Dodge County Emergency Response Team, Dodge County Highway Department, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin State Patrol.
The crash remains under investigation by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.
