KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A truck carrying more than 120 cattle plunged from a highway overpass in downtown Kansas City early Sunday, killing dozens of animals and triggering an hourslong effort to round up cattle that scattered across highways and city streets.
The crash happened shortly before 3 a.m. when the semitractor-trailer overturned and fell from an elevated section of Interstate 70 onto another vehicle below.
Authorities said between 120 and 130 cattle were being transported at the time of the crash. An estimated 45 to 60 animals died in the wreck, while dozens of surviving cattle escaped and wandered across a wide area of the metropolitan region.
Police, firefighters and animal handlers launched a large-scale roundup that included the use of drones and thermal imaging equipment to locate the loose animals. Some cattle reportedly traveled several miles from the crash site before being captured.
The escaped animals created additional traffic hazards and led to multiple reports from motorists throughout the morning. Officials temporarily closed portions of the downtown highway network while emergency crews searched for cattle, cleared wreckage and addressed a diesel fuel spill caused by the crash.
Both the truck driver and the driver of the vehicle struck below were taken to a hospital with injuries that authorities described as non-life-threatening.
By Sunday afternoon, officials said all of the cattle had been accounted for, bringing an end to a surreal scene that left drivers encountering wandering livestock in the heart of one of the Midwest’s largest cities.
The incident drew widespread attention as images circulated showing cattle roaming near highways, commercial districts and other parts of the Kansas City area while crews worked to bring the animals under control.
