Tractor-trailer carrying cows rolls over on I-84. Almost half the animals had to be euthanized
About 20 cows had to be euthanized early Thursday when a tractor-trailer carrying the animals rolled over during a rollover crash on Interstate 84 in Newtown.
The crash was reported at about 3:26 a.m. and involved a tractor-trailer that went off the Exit 10 off-ramp on I-84 West and rolled over, according to Connecticut State Police. The vehicle was carrying 44 live cows at the time.
State police said the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Transportation responded. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was also requested because of a fuel spill caused by the crash.
A state veterinarian who was contacted made the decision that about 20 of the cows would need to be euthanized “based on the injuries sustained by the cows and the risk of exposure to hazardous conditions resulting from the rollover,” state police said. The cows were euthanized at the scene by state police troopers.
According to the Sandy Hook Fire and Rescue, the driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.
The entire westbound side of I-84 was shut down early Thursday in the area of the crash. As of the late morning, state police said some lanes were still shut down as cleanup of the scene continued.
