Cows shot after 1-90 rollover (update)
Published 8:08 am Thursday, February 17, 2011
Six cows were shot and killed Thursday after the truck transporting them rolled on eastbound Interstate 90 west of Austin.
The 1998 Freightliner semi, driven by Paul O. Hagen, 57, of Spring Grove, rolled Thursday morning around 5:30 a.m., leaving 16 cows roaming free on the interstate and halting traffic, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Hagen was not injured.
A woman, whose name has not been released, was driving westbound near the crash and suffered minor injuries after her car struck and killed one of the cows.
Albert Lea area firefighters attempted to herd the remaining cattle, but shot six cows Thursday afternoon that made their way two and a half miles from the scene. Officials said the cows that had to be shot started acting “crazy” and unruly.
The State Patrol report stated the road was wet at the time of the crash, and fog was also causing limited visibility.
Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office detective Scott Golbuff said the Food and Drug Administration bans any livestock involved in a crash — whether it survives the crash or not — from being processed for human consumption. The cattle will most likely be processed for animal consumption.