Nearly two dozen cows lost their lives after a semitrailer carrying cattle flipped over on a Connecticut interstate Thursday morning, according to CBS News.
The accident reportedly occurred on I-84 in Newtown, Connecticut, at around 3:30 a.m. An exit ramp was shut down so that officials could perform a mass-scale cleanup, CBS News reported. While 14 of the farm animals perished on the spot, six others were “humanely euthanized.”
20 cows killed when semitrailer flips over on interstate highway https://t.co/96gim5Jrm4
— CBS7 (@CBS7News) October 19, 2023
“The decision to euthanize was made in coordination with the owner based upon the circumstances present and to prevent further suffering of the animals,” the Connecticut Department of Agriculture said, per CBS. (RELATED: Texas Cattle Found Dead With Tongues Cut Out And Genitals Removed: Sheriff’s Office)
7 cows were killed, and another 6 euthanized, after a tractor trailer carrying them rolled over while exiting a highway in Connecticut, officials say. https://t.co/A14hGxLAU3
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 19, 2023
The trailer was transporting 44 dairy cows from Maine to Ohio, CBS News reported.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) clarified none of the meat from the dead cattle will become food supply, CBS News noted.
As for the cows that lived, the remaining lot were transferred onto a different trailer so Connecticut’s state veterinarian could evaluate them, per CBS News. (RELATED: Police Make Arrests After Allegedly Finding 105 Cows, 1 Dog Dead On Oklahoma Farm)
The cattle that survived are “doing well,” according to the outlet.
The truck driver was reportedly not injured.