12 cattle dead in semi rollover in northeastern Iowa

CALMAR, Iowa (KCRG) - A semi crash resulted in the death of 12 cattle late Wednesday night in Winneshiek County.

The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office said the semi was heading southbound on US Highway 52, just north of 175th Street in Calmar, at about 10 p.m. when the driver attempted to get a jug of water from the passenger side of the cab.

The driver was also talking on the phone using a hands-free headset, according to law enforcement.

The sheriff’s office said the semi dropped off the pavement onto the shoulder, where the driver lost control and overturned the semi tractor and trailer.

There were about 33 cattle inside the trailer. Several were thrown from the trailer and several others were trapped inside.

The semi was totaled in the crash. The sheriff’s office did not say whether the driver sustained any injuries in the crash, but he was cited for failure to maintain control.