Photo

Photo courtesy of Jessie Derscheid

A deputy sheriff examines the runaway truck that crashed through the woods across the street from the Law Enforcement Center. The accident occurred October 20 when a 1974 Peterbilt TK driven by 23-year-old Damian Zimmer had a transmission failure. Zimmer, who was hauling a load of dirt told WTIP that he couldn’t slow the truck near the water tower on the Gunflint Trail. As the truck gained speed heading for Highway 61 Zimmer pulled the truck off the road about 200 feet from the intersection and jumped from the truck. Damian broke his wrist and suffered injuries to his jaw and foot in his leap to safety. Zimmer told WTIP that if he had stayed in the truck he would have surely died. The truck is totaled but luckily no one else was hurt because of Damian’s quick decision to pull his runaway into the woods.