Driver cited, 16 cattle killed in I-80 ramp crash

This happened yesterday in the south suburbs of Chicago. I heard it on the news on my way home from church, and on the 10 o'clock news they said it took over 8 hours to fully upright the truck and make sure all the cows were accounted for.
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Driver cited, 16 cattle killed in I-80 ramp crash

Sixteen cattle were killed Sunday and others briefly roamed the highway at the I-80/294 interchange near Hazel Crest after a crash that prompted lane closures for several hours on both highways, police said.

Police remained on the scene Sunday evening more than six hours after a semi truck hauling the cattle crashed at about 11:15 a.m., leaving some of the livestock dead on the highways.

The driver, whom police did not identify, was cited for going too fast for conditions, Illinois State Police District Chicago Trooper Cordell Turner said. He said no one was injured, and 22 cattle survived. Police also did not say to whom the truck was registered.

The semi truck hauling the cattle flipped over on a ramp that leads from eastbound I-80 to northbound I-294, Illinois State Police District Chicago Trooper Ricardo Sandoval said. Several cattle fell about 20 feet from the ramp to the highway below when the crash occurred, and others fell when crews righted the truck, according to news reports.

“We do have some livestock that perished, and some are still alive in the trailer,’’ Sandoval said.

With going to fast & the animals shifting around in the bull rack a person can lack control pretty fast. With the trailer tipped there was no way to unload into another trailer so they had to tip it up right. With the weight of the cattle it would be like humans not wearing seat belts flying around in a vehicle hitting each other. It is a sad situation for the cattle that got killed & injured.

With interchanges in that area I bet traffic was backed up for miles. I have been to Chicago twice & it took an hour to get in when traffic was what I would call normal.