Nebraska man identified as victim of three-vehicle fatal crash near Beresford

BERESFORD, S.D. — A Nebraska man has been identified by authorities as the victim of a fatal three-vehicle crash near Beresford this week.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol named 76-year-old Joseph Tramp III, of Crofton, Nebraska, as the man who died in the crash that took place Tuesday, Feb. 14.

A preliminary investigation conducted by the South Dakota Highway Patrol indicates that at approximately 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Tramp was driving a 2007 Kenworth semi-truck and trailer eastbound on South Dakota Highway 46, roughly one mile east of Beresford's city limits, when he swerved to avoid an eastbound pickup that had slowed to turn on to private property.

Tramp swerved into the oncoming lane and his semi collided head-on with a westbound 2012 Kenworth semi-truck and trailer driven by 38-year-old Dustin Aspaas, of Baltic. Tramp, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the truck and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Aspaas, who was wearing a seat belt, sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries, and was taken to a Sioux Falls hospital.

The pickup driver, 45-year-old Brian Jensen, of Burbank, was wearing a seat belt and was not injured in the crash.

Aspaas' semi was hauling ethanol fuel at the time of the crash, which prompted a hazardous materials team to respond to the scene. Clean-up efforts resulted in a six-hour closure of the highway.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash.