Multivehicle crash leaves 14 cattle dead, driver hurt in San Bernardino County
One person was injured and 14 cattle were killed after a multivehicle collision on Highway 395 in Hesperia, officials said.
The crash happened shortly after midnight Tuesday morning, when a semi-truck struck a motorcycle that had been abandoned in the southbound traffic lane, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
The impact pushed the semi into the northbound lane, where it collided head-on with another big rig hauling 32 head of cattle, which overturned.
Seven cattle died in the crash, and seven more had to be euthanized due to severe injuries, officials said.
Eight that survived the collision were rescued from the overturned trailer with the help of local ranchers.
Ten others escaped into the desert and were later rounded up by ranchers and Hesperia Animal Control.
The driver of the overturned truck was extricated and transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for moderate injuries. The driver of the first truck was uninjured.
Sheriff's investigators are searching for the driver of the abandoned motorcycle, a 2013 Yamaha YZ, whom they believe fled the scene "prior to or at the time of the collision," they said.
Highway 395 was shut down in both directions for several hours, officials said. It reopened Tuesday afternoon.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
