Patrol: one person hurt in tractor-trailer crash bringing sea lions to Missouri State Fair

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Westbound Interstate 70 is back open after a crash involving a semi-truck with four people and three sea lions on Thursday morning.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol's Troop F posted on X that one person in the truck went to University Hospital with moderate injuries in the crash near the 133 mile marker of I-70. The patrol said three sea lions in the truck appeared uninjured, but were taken to MU's Veterinary Hospital to be checked out.

The Missouri State Fair's website said the sea lion show was canceled due to the crash. However, MSHP's Troop F -- which covers much of Mid-Missouri -- wrote at 12:14 p.m. that the sea lions "will be continuing their trip to Sedalia." State Fair officials confirmed to ABC 17 News again at 3:30 p.m. that the sea lion show would not go on and they would not be at the fair. Troop F has also deleted their tweet.

An MSHP crash report says the crash occurred when the 2015 Peterbilt 389 was heading westbound as it went off the left side of the road “for an undetermined reason” and hit a barrier in the median.

The truck was driven by a 59-year-old Mansfield, Ohio, man. A 27-year-old woman from Harper, Texas, had moderate injuries and was brought to University Hospital by ambulance. Neither person wore a seatbelt, the report says. The truck had extensive damage, the report says.

An ABC 17 News videographer on scene saw both lanes reopen just before 6 a.m.

According to the MoDOT Traveler Map, a two-vehicle crash past the 133 mile-marker closed the left lane.

ABC 17 News saw a semi-truck blocking the left lane. At around 4:15 a.m., a tow truck arrived to remove the semi-trailer. The cab of the semi was towed away just before 6 a.m.