THEDFORD – An accident occurred Sunday night on Highway 83 north of Thedford, near Mile 155 at roughly 10 p.m. According to the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, a southbound semi collided with an incoming Silverado heading north.
The Silverado veered into the southbound lane and struck the semi, toppling it. The semi subsequently caught fire, starting a grassfire near the scene. It is unclear to both the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol as of this report what exactly the semi was hauling. The scene was cleared in three hours, by 1 a.m. early Monday morning.
Among the first responders credited, alongside the Nebraska State Patrol and the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, in the successful rescue and containment of the fire are: Thedford Fire & Rescue, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, Hooker County Sheriff’s Office, Cherry County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska Department of Roads, and a Good Samaritan couple from Custer County with fire/rescue and professional medical training.
Both drivers were transported off the scene to be treated for injuries: the driver of the Silverado to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney for serious injuries, and the driver of the semi-truck to Great Plains Hospital in North Platte for minor injuries. As of 3:30 p.m. Monday, neither driver’s injuries were deemed to be life-threatening, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.
The accident’s investigation, according to the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office and Nebraska State Patrol, is still ongoing.
