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Semi hauling 41,000 pounds of shredded cheese crashes on I-5 Monday Oct 24, 2016 at 10:16 AM Oct 27, 2016 at 11:35 AM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil A semi truck hauling 41,000 pounds of shredded cheese crashed into a guardrail on Interstate 5 outside Ashland early Monday morning, taking out 320 feet of the rail and spilling its payload into the road. Oregon State Police said the crash happened at 2:53 a.m. near milepost 8. The semi was transporting the cheese in a refrigerated box trailer for Papa John's Pizza, traveling northbound, when it smashed into the guard rail. "It just opened the top of that trailer like a can opener," said Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Gary Leaming. Capt. Bill Fugate of Oregon State Police said the truck and trailer were destroyed in the crash. The driver, 26-year-old Jagjiwan Singh of Santa Clara, California, complained of minor back pain following the crash but declined medical transport. He reportedly was cited, but police didn't say why. The truck and trailer were towed away, and a six-man salvage team from Star 24 Hour Towing cleaned up the spilled cheese. One lane of traffic is closed. Following the cleanup, Leaming said, weighted barrels will be set up where the guard rail was destroyed. The closed lane is expected to reopen later today. The agency will issue an emergency contract to get the guard rail fixed, Leaming said. — Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.