A Viroqua man was injured in a one-vehicle rollover accident May 22 while trying to recover his stolen truck.

The accident happened at approximately 3:30 p.m. in Coon township when a vehicle being driven by Cory Sobkowiak, age 33 of Viroqua, was traveling south on Vang road. Sobkowiak jumped out of the vehicle, causing it to leave the roadway.

He fled the accident scene on foot and was later apprehended in Houston County, Minnesota.

During the investigation, it was determined that the vehicle Sobkowiak was driving had been stolen in the City of Viroqua three and one-half weeks prior, and that the owner of the truck, Dwight Zietlow, 55, also of Viroqua, had located it in the Village of Coon Valley.

After blocking the truck with his car at an intersection, Zietlow tried to get his truck back by jumping in the box. Sobkowiak took off with Zietlow riding in the box.

Sobkowiak traveled between Coon Valley and Westby to Esofea.

Zietlow remained in the pickup  box after the vehicle left the roadway, traveling at approximately 70 miles per hour for several hundred yards until it hit several trees and a playground set, eventually rolling over on private property.

Zietlow was ejected from the truck upon impact. He  was transported to Vernon Memorial Hospital in Viroqua for his injuries by Tri-State Ambulance service.

Assisting the Sheriff’s Office were Coon Valley Fire Department, Coon Valley EMS, and Tri-State Ambulance.

The accident remains under investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office is  also investigating the theft of a farm tractor and equipment, and a 2007 Dodge dually truck from the immediate area.

Both have since been recovered, the tractor and equipment at the end of a field north of the accident location and the truck in Houston County, Minnesota.