Jennie-O turkey truck rolls near Melrose

Approximately 2,600 turkeys on route from Hawick to Melrose were driven off the roadway Thursday evening in a semi truck owned and operated by Jennie-O Foods of Willmar.

According to a news release from Stearns County Sheriff's Office, 74-year-old Wilfred Hinnenkamp of Melrose was traveling northbound on County Road 12 at 9:22 p.m. when his truck left the road and rolled into the eastern ditch, just south of New Munich in Oak Township.

Chief Deputy Bruce Bechtold reported that "a good number of the turkeys were injured in the accident and are now being shipped to a dog food processing plant."

Hinnenkamp sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital by a private party.

The cause of the crash is unknown as the case remains under investigation.