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The eastbound Belgrade exit for Interstate 90 is blocked due to a semi rollover and is expected to remain closed until about 2 Sunday afternoon.

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper James McMartin says the crash happened about 5:45 Sunday morning, sending both people in the semi to Deaconess hospital in Bozeman. Both were treated and released with minor injuries.

According to McMartin, a training driver in the semi placed all of the drivers side wheels from the tractor and the trailer on the median between the interstate lanes and when attempting to get back on the road, over corrected. That led the trailer to begin to jackknife, causing the truck to clip and knock over a light pole just before the Belgrade exit for the interstate. The light shorted out starting a small brush fire.

The driver then over corrected again, rolling the truck on its side blocking the entire exit. Trooper McMartin says that the senior driver in the truck told the trainee just before the crash that she was driving too fast and should slow down. Seconds later the crash happened. The driver was wearing a seat belt and the MHP says neither fatigue, drugs nor alcohol appeared to be a factor.

The truck was filled with 42,000 pounds of frozen corn. That load was transferred to another truck but the process must be completed by hand and was expected to take 4 to 5 hours. After that the truck and trailer will have to righted and hauled away before the exit can reopen.

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