WAPATO, Wash. (AP) — The Washington State Patrol says a semi-truck caught fire after striking cows on Highway 97 early Saturday morning.

The Yakima Herald Republic reports (http://bit.ly/1wStvWX ) that the driver, 51-year-old Wesley R. Smith Jr., suffered minor injuries and was taken to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.

The state patrol says the accident happened around 3:15 a.m. when Smith swerved and struck two cows, causing the truck to drive up a barrier for about 200 feet, causing the fuel tank to break. Smith escaped out the passenger side of the cab, but the truck was destroyed.

The highway in south central Washington was closed near Wapato for several hours but reopened around 9 a.m.

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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakimaherald.com

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