March 2023
INDOT crews saved a 30-pound pig, running hog-wild along I-65 in White County, from danger in February.
Lafayette Unit members were near the southbound Wolcott Rest Area, picking up trash alongside I-65, when supervisor Randy Fultz saw the pig scurrying about the rest area grounds. Fearing that the swine could cause a crash in the parking lot or on I-65 ramps or highway, Fultz and his crew moved operations to the rest area to capture the pig.
As the 10 employees approached the porker, it squealed and bolted into the prickly shrub area in the fence row near I-65.
“The pig was very athletic and strong willed,” said Fultz.
The employees encircled the pig and gently captured it. The crew christened the pig Wilbur, a reference to the pig in the classic children’s novel “Charlotte’s Web.”
Personnel drove a dog kennel to the rest area for Wilbur. Through INDOT social media pages, the owner of the pig was asked to contact INDOT. Meantime, INDOT drove Wilbur to a nearby farm for safekeeping. When nobody claimed Wilbur, the farmer agreed to keep Wilbur, who lives in a barn with a few other pigs, a couple of cows, and several chickens.
“Our first concern was safety, as a loose pig could cause rubber-necking by I-65 motorists and possibly even a crash,” said Fultz. “We’re glad we kept the public and Wilbur safe.”
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