Witnesses found a labrador retriever in a semi-truck involved in a rolling collision with a tree at a Minnesota gas station. Mankato police say the car was parked and idling before being placed into gear, they are unsure if the dog caused the truck to begin moving. Screen capture/KEYC

MANKATO, Minn., March 5 (UPI) -- A dog was found behind the steering wheel of a semi that rolled into a Minnesota gas station on Friday afternoon.

Mankato Public Safety told KEYC News the semi was parked and idling before being put into gear. It crashed into a tree in front of a Kwik Trip gas station around 2 p.m. An onlooker found a labrador retriever in the truck's cab while entering the out of control vehicle to place it in park.


Witness David Stegora told the Mankato Free Press he saw the car crash into the tree before noticing the dog in the front seat.

"I heard the tree snap and I thought somebody decided to turn around, but then it just kept going forward," he said

State patrol took an accident report, but it was unclear whether the dog played a factor in the crash.

"All I know is it was a Labrador," Police Cmdr. Dan Schisel said.