Posted Friday, February 15, 2013 --- 9:25 a.m.

From the Rock County Sheriff's Office:

On 02/15/13 at 3:42am, Deputies from the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Officers from the Town of Beloit Police Department, Town of Beloit Fire and EMS and Orfordville Fire and EMS responded to a semi rollover accident on W STH 81 at S Olson Rd.

Upon arrival, emergency crews found a 2010 Freightliner tractor-trailer over turned on its passenger side in a field approximately 15 yards north of W STH 81 approximately .1 of a mile east of S Olson Rd. The driver of the semi, Brian Lamont (33), of Monroe, WI, was trapped inside the cab of the semi. It took emergency crews approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to extract the driver. Once the driver was extracted from the cab he was transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center in Janesville with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Initial investigation at the scene shows the Freightliner was traveling eastbound on W STH 81 approaching S Olson Rd when the driver failed to negotiate a slight curve in the roadway and crossed through the westbound lane of traffic. The Freightliner traveled on the north shoulder of the road until it hit the culvert at S Olson Rd and became airborne. The semi landed on the eastside of S Olson Rd and overturned onto the passenger side and began to slide for approximately 100 yards, knocking down several small trees and a power pole before coming to rest, facing westbound.

The semi was hauling 42,360lbs of liquid carbon dioxide. The tank to the carbon dioxide was damaged but there was no leaking of the material or hazardous material (hazmat) danger.

W STH 81 was closed for approximately 2 hours while emergency crews worked on scene. At the time of this release crews are still working to remove the semi trailer from the field but W STH 81 remains open.

The accident is still under investigation at this time and at the time of this release no citations have been issued.

ROBERT D. SPODEN
SHERIFF