The U.S. pork industry is mourning the tragic loss of three people in a motor vehicle accident last week in Prague, Czech Republic.
Killed in the accident were Dr. Bob Morrison, a professor in the Swine Group with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine; Pam Wetzell, wife of Dr. Tom Wetzell, a professional services veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, who was treated at a hospital and released; and Debbie Spronk, wife of swine veterinarian Dr. Gordon Spronk, who also was treated and released.
Dr. Spronk, who works for the Pipestone System pork operation in Minnesota, is the brother of NPPC past president Randy Spronk. Jeanie Morrison, wife of Dr. Morrison, remains in a hospital in Prague. Drs. Morrison, Spronk, and Wetzell were attending a swine health management conference in Prague.
Dr. Morrison was hired by the University of Minnesota in 1986 and recently launched the Swine Health Monitoring Project, which provides weekly reports on the health status of over 50 percent of the U.S. sow herds. Dr. Morrison also coordinated two internationally-respected swine health management conferences: the St. Paul, MN-based Allen D. Leman Swine Conference and the Leman China Conference in Nanjing, China. In 2016, he was recognized with the prestigious Master of the Pork Industry award by the National Hog Farmer for his dedication to swine producers.
NPPC requests that the families be kept in the thoughts and prayers of all involved in the pork industry.
