The armored vehicle was being returned to the South Dakota National Guard.
Interstate 80 through Nebraska is, for the most part a scenic but boring drive. It cuts through the heartland and Midwest of America, with Omaha the only major city along its 460-mile stretch of concrete. This stretch of road will be filled with cornfields, open plains, and blue skies. A tank weighing over a ton on the shoulder is one thing you won’t notice. Most of the times, though.
Yet, motorists on I-80 saw exactly that. On August 20, the Nebraska State Patrol received reports about a trailer that had a large tracked military vehicle, which was parked on top of an on-ramp. It was found near Overton, in the south-central part of the state. This vehicle is an armored-engine vehicle without guns, so tank is somewhat loose in this instance. It still has large honking tracks and could engage with front-line military conflicts if needed, so we call it a tank.
It belongs to the South Dakota National Guard and was being returned to the state following a California training mission. It was most likely returning to Sioux Falls, hence the trip across I-80. This would have connected with I-29 for an easy jaunt north. This encounter is more mysterious than it seems, though, since the reason the trailer was left on the highway remains a mystery. There was no evidence of any damage or problems and it is not known whereabouts of both the truck’s driver and the truck’s driver. You’re not the only one who thinks that this sounds strange.
At the moment, we are taking steps to bring this big boy home to South Dakota. We’ll update you if we get any new information about the driver or the cause of this.