Truck crashes, catches fire on Interstate 55

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- The Portageville Fire Department responded to a call of a vehicle on fire on Interstate 55 Thursday morning to find a double semi-trailer truck that crashed while heading southbound. The crash was located at mile marker 34, in the median of the Portageville exit.

The truck driver, Sam Lawhieu, was taken to a Hayti hospital for medical treatment, the Daily Dunklin Democrat reported. He told a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer that a black SUV passed him and swerved into his pathway forcing him off the road, losing control of the truck. The black SUV kept on going and did not stop. The patrolman said that a call was placed to the Hayti Police Department to see if they could intercept the black SUV.