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Cattle trapped, killed in Helena semi crash

Posted: Sep 10, 2010 5:19 PM by Marnee Banks -Montana's News Station

HELENA - Four cows are dead and five injured after a semi truck carrying 41 head of cattle flipped just outside of Helena, near the Lincoln Road exit, according to Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Jeremy Lee.

A truck towing a horse trailer was turning around in the emergency vehicle median when the driver blocked traffic, Lee said. The driver of the semi, which was southbound on Interstate 15, then swerved to miss the trailer and flipped into the barrow pit.

West Valley Fire, Montana Highway Patrol, Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's office and J & D Towing and Recovery all responded to the crash to find all of the cows trapped inside the semi.

Crews quickly set up a perimeter with temporary fencing so when the cattle escaped they wouldn't run across the highway. They brought in three men on horseback and two on ATVs in order to herd the loose cattle.

Firefighters used the "jaws of life" to cut off the roof of the semi and free several of the cows. The first group of cows to be freed appeared to be uninjured.

Crews then cut the back of the semi off to free the rest of the trapped cattle.

MT Department of Livestock director Christian Mackay was on scene with the state veterinarian. He said his agency was there to help with containing the cattle once they got loose. He says the dead cows will be taken to the landfill, and the injured ones will be treated by the state vet.

Mackay says typically when livestock is lost, either the trucking company's insurance or the rancher's insurance will cover the loss. He says the last accident like this was about two years ago when a cattle truck flipped near Walmart in Helena.

Jim Lynch, the director of the MT Department of Transportation, was also on scene helping regulate traffic. Traffic didn't stop, but moved slowly past the accident.

A rancher from the Choteau area owns the cattle, and was having them shipped from Choteau to be slaughtered.