MILES CITY, Mont. — A cattle hauler tipped along Interstate 94 in Miles City on Sunday, spilling 120 cows and triggering a quick-response roundup from local residents.
Watch how the Miles City community came together:
Michael Crews, one of the first on the scene, said the situation was chaotic but showcased the town’s tight-knit community.
“Everybody just kind of showed up all at once, and we all started doing what we could to help out,” Crews said.
The truck driver was in a tough spot as first responders worked to pry open the hauler. Meanwhile, the cows scattered — some making their way into the middle of town — prompting cowboys and cowgirls to corral the strays.
“They got them corralled in someone’s yard and hauled off in a trailer,” Crews said.
Traffic came to a standstill as the herd wandered the area, attracting onlookers and adding to the small-town spectacle. Despite the chaos, Crews said more than 90% of the cows survived, and the entire operation took about 90 minutes.
“It was a pretty great community showing, seeing how everybody pitched in to get a wreck like that cleaned up so quickly,” he said.
While a few cows didn’t survive the accident, the majority were safely returned to the hauler or nearby trailers, and life in Miles City returned to normal shortly after.
