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ITD snowplow driver uninjured during
Thursday crash with semi-truck on I-90

An ITD snowplow driver was startled and shaken, but otherwise unharmed, Thursday after the truck he was driving was sent into an uncontrolled spin on Interstate 90.

Pete Peterson, a veteran maintenance worker in District 1, was plowing snow on the inside lane of I-90 when the driver of a semi truck attempted to pass on the right, lost control and clipped the wing extension of the plow.

The wing extends more than eight feet to the right of the plow and is clearly marked with wing light, flag and reflector. Peterson was operating a 10-wheel Mac dump truck equipped with plow and sand spreader. The truck, in service for about eight years, may be a total loss.

It came to rest in the median of the interstate; the truck, according to television reports, jack-knifed and partially blocked the highway. I-90 was closed near milepost 55 (Kellogg area) for about 30 minutes while crews cleared crash debris from the highway and ISP completed its investigation. Officers cited the truck driver for excessive speed and passing a snowplow on the right..

The incident emphasizes the risk in passing operating snowplows. ITD cautions motorists to never attempt to pass a plow truck on the right because of the extended wing width and because spray from the plow can obscure visibility, often resulting in loss of control of the passing vehicle.