POWESHIEK COUNTY, Iowa — A North Carolina man was killed after he was struck by a semi while he was changing a tire on a semi-trailer on the shoulder of Interstate 80.

According to the Iowa State Patrol, at around 7 a.m. Thursday a semi hauling a section of a wind turbine eastbound on I-80 experienced a tire issue and pulled over near the 184-mile marker near Grinnell. The driver of the semi’s pilot vehicle, identified as 55-year-old Brenton Fergia from North Carolina, also pulled over and parked his vehicle behind the semi-trailer.

The ISP said that Fergia got out of his vehicle and began to work on changing the semi’s problem tire when another eastbound semi crashed into the pilot vehicle, which subsequently struck Fergia. According to a crash report, Fergia was transported to a hospital but later died from his injuries.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing, the ISP said.

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