Driver Rescued From Burning Semi Near Park Rapids, Arrested for DUI

Park Rapids firefighters rescued a semi-truck driver from his burning truck north of Park Rapids on Sunday evening.

Authorities say the driver, who later was arrested for a DUI, was disorientated and still in the fully engulfed truck when firefighters found him and pulled him to safety. The driver, 57-year-old Shawn Nelson of East Grand Forks, failed field sobriety tests at the scene and later tested .20 on a breathalyzer test, which is more than two times the legal limit.

Nelson told deputies he was hauling a load of wheat from Thief River Falls to Hastings. He was located in the burning truck at the Leading Edge mechanical building, which is about three miles north of Park Rapids. There was also some damage to the business due to the fire and heat.

The incident remains under investigation by the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office.