Cows roam Kansas City highway after trailer plunged off overpass
Dozens of cows fled the crash scene, resulting in other crashes and more calls to the police from the public, Kansas City police said.
Between 45 and 60 of the 120 to 130 cattle on board a tractor-trailer plunged off a highway overpass in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, early Sunday morning. The accident occurred just before 3 a.m., causing the truck to crash onto a vehicle and plunge onto I-70 westbound. The truck's driver and the driver of the struck vehicle sustained minor injuries and were treated at local hospitals.
Kansas City Police Sergeant Phil DiMartino stated that 45 to 60 of the 120 to 130 cattle carried by the truck were killed in the accident. Dozens of other cattle fled the scene, leading to additional crashes and calls to the police.
It is believed that all the cattle have now been accounted for, according to an updated press release from DiMartino. The accident happened on the same day the Kansas City Chiefs were hosting the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL game, though authorities did not anticipate significant disruptions in game traffic due to the widespread media coverage of the incident.
Some cows had walked several miles before being captured, Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins of Kansas City Fire Department reported. The accident was described as "pretty nasty" by Hopkins.
In the immediate aftermath, city authorities deployed drones to track the wandering cattle. Later, a private company partnered with the trucking firm to bring workers on horseback to round up the surviving cattle. DiMartino added that the capture of animals who did not survive has proven to be more challenging.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.