Dozens of Cattle Perish After Semi-Truck Plunges From Kansas City Overpass
A semi-truck crash in Kansas City left dozens of cattle dead and others roaming highways. Authorities have now accounted for all surviving animals.
POLICY WIRE — Kansas City, Missouri — A chaotic scene unfolded early Sunday morning when a semitractor-trailer plummeted from a highway overpass, spilling dozens of cattle onto the streets below and forcing a massive recovery operation in downtown Kansas City.
The incident occurred just before 3 a.m. when the truck overturned while navigating the westbound I-70 curve over southbound I-35, landing directly on top of a passenger vehicle. Both the truck driver and the driver of the car were transported to local hospitals to receive treatment for minor injuries.
Kansas City Police Sgt. Phil DiMartino confirmed that between 45 and 60 of the 120 to 130 cattle on board died in the crash. The impact caused many surviving animals to scatter across the area, triggering secondary traffic accidents and a flurry of emergency calls from the public.
Authorities deployed drones to locate the displaced livestock, eventually coordinating with a private firm that utilized workers on horseback to corral the animals. Some of the cows traveled several miles from the crash site before they were successfully captured.
Kansas City Fire Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins described the scene as a pretty nasty accident, noting that the recovery of the deceased animals proved to be a difficult task. He added that it was more difficult has been getting the animals who did not survive.
Despite the significant disruption, officials did not expect the incident to impact traffic for the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Los Angeles Chargers, citing the widespread public awareness of the situation. By Sunday afternoon, Sgt. DiMartino stated in an updated press release that it is believed all cows have now been accounted for.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
