FREEBORN &8212; A Freightliner truck hauling a Wilson trailer of hogs went off a county road and into a ditch Monday morning, leaving the driver mostly unharmed but killing 70 hogs on board.

According to the Freeborn County Sheriff&8217;s Office, the emergency call came at about 7:30 a.m. Driver Dean Jason Stage of Anderson Trucking, which is based in Good Thunder, was headed eastbound on Freeborn County Road 29. At the junction with County 8, the road angles from a southeastern direction to immediately eastward.

Deputy Tim Bennett investigated the wreck. He said it appears the driver was going too fast for the curve at that corner. Though Stage claimed to be going 55 mph &8212; the posted speed limit &8212; it likely is too fast for a fully loaded trailer through that intersection, Bennett said.

Once the wheels of the truck went off the pavement, it brought the whole trailer over and into the south ditch, the deputy said.

Bennett said Stage, 33, had a only slight cut. He was taken to Albert Lea Medical Center, treated and released.

&8220;It is an unfortunate accident,&8221; said Robert Anderson, owner of the trucking company.

Anderson said 90 hogs survived the wreck and 70 died. Volunteers from around Freeborn kept the surviving hogs from wandering until Anderson Trucking could haul them away. A rendering service hauled away the carcasses.

Anderson said the curve at the junction is flat, making it dangerous. He said the roadway needs a slight bank to help large trucks stay on the road. He said other trucks have had the same problem at that corner.

&8220;That corner needs to be addressed,&8221; Anderson said.

Freeborn County Engineer Sue Miller said she will look at the report Tuesday and offer a comment. Look for an updated version of this story at 10 a.m. Tuesday at AlbertLeaTribune.com.

Bennett recalled a grain truck wrecking at the same intersection a few months ago.

Freeborn County sheriff&8217;s deputies were on the scene to investigate the wreck. A Minnesota state trooper was there to inspect the truck and trailer. First responders from Freeborn were there, too.

County 29 just east of the corner was closed to traffic for most of the morning. Allen&8217;s Tow N Travel of Albert Lea hauled the Freightliner truck and Wilson trailer out of the ditch.