BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio --

Wildlife officials and zookeepers were called Thursday night to help rescue lab monkeys involved in a rollover crash.

Because the 53 monkeys were laboratory animals, local officials were initially concerned about whether the animals posed a public safety concern. Neither Belmont County authorities nor the state highway patrol had issued any public health warnings.

The monkeys had recently been flown into the United States and were being transported to a laboratory in Maryland at the time of the crash. It was not clear if any of the monkeys were injured.

Zookeepers from the Oglebay Good Zoo in nearby Wheeling were called to the scene to assist police in dealing with the live animals. The zookeepers told NEWS9 they were prepared to don hazardous materials suits to collect the monkeys and transport them to the zoo.

The crash happened after 7:30 p.m. when the truck hauling the monkeys rear-ended a minivan and tumbled over the hill at exit 213 on Interstate 70.

The driver of the truck was not hurt; the driver of the van was transported to the hospital.

-Eric Minor, NEWS9