Wisconsin teen survives being hit by semi

By VINCE TUSS, Star Tribune

Last update: November 3, 2009 - 6:37 PM

A Wisconsin teen is lucky to be alive after getting struck by a semi.

Austin Wold, 16, of Barron, was on a bicycle when he was hit about 5:30 p.m. Monday on Hwy. 8 east of Barron, according to the Barron County Sheriff's Office.

Wold was going west on Hwy. 8 when he tried to cross to get to the eastbound side to ride facing traffic, the Sheriff's Office said. That's when the teen was hit by the semi, driven by Gerald Trent, 59, of Pine City, Minn.

Wold was flown to Luther Hospital in Eau Claire. According to news reports in Wisconsin, he was treated for minor injuries and released. Attempts to reach Wold were unsuccessful.

The accident remains under investigation, the Sheriff's Office said.

Vince Tuss • 612-673-7692

Recent Local + Metro stories

Dateline Minneapolis: Inefficiency marks USDA lunch program - November 3, 2009

Dateline Minneapolis: Inefficiency marks USDA lunch program - A graduate of Minneapolis South High who's doing her doctoral thesis on school lunch programs in Minnesota says waste is widespread -- and costly -- in the federal food giveaways. More