Update: Cows jump from trailer in second livestock-related traffic accident Monday
A crash on Highway 99 in Turlock on Monday morning caused moderate injuries to a driver and left livestock running around in the center divide until the animals could be rounded up and loaded onto a replacement trailer, the California Highway Patrol reported.
It was the first of two livestock-related incidents on local roads Monday morning.
The first crash happened about 9:40 on northbound 99 south of West Monte Vista Avenue.
The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of a 2014 Chevrolet SUV in the fast lane made an unsafe turning movement and struck the rear of a trailer being pulled by a 2011 Chevy Silverado pickup.
The pickup overturned multiple times and came to rest upside down. Driver Orfil Gutierrez, 41, of Chowchilla was taken by ambulance to Memorial Medical Center, CHP Modesto office spokesman Officer Tom Olsen said.
The driver of the SUV, 20-year-old Fernando Balthazar of Ceres, was uninjured as his vehicle suffered front-end damage and went down the embankment off the right shoulder of the highway.
Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. DUI is not suspected, but the investigation suggests Balthazar may have been sleepy, Olsen said. “Drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence,” he said. “If you find yourself tired behind the wheel, exit the freeway to a safe location and do not continue until it is absolutely safe to do so.”
About 20 animals, a mix of sheep and goats, got out of their overturned trailer. A handful suffered minor injuries, Olsen said. The fast lane and middle lane were closed until about 10:15 so they could be safely corralled. Traffic was slowed because of the crash, and by about 10:55 a.m., it remained backed up to about Lander Avenue.
About an hour and 20 minutes later, there was a report of cows on Keyes and Pioneer roads.
The cows had been in a trailer with a gate not properly secured, Officer Francisco Arias said.
“Cows were jumping out and the driver was unaware,” he said.
As the CHP was responding, one cow was hit by a car. It suffered two broken legs and had to be put down.
“With being in a country area, we do get a lot of calls for animals that either somehow get loose from the pastures or somehow end up in the roadway,” Arias said. Usually, however, officers don’t respond to two such calls in a single day.
This story was originally published March 22, 2021 at 11:57 AM.
