Driving along the interstate is difficult enough. Motorists contend with increasing traffic, distracted driving and construction zones on a daily basis. Motor vehicle accidents, while down overall, are still a major source of frustration for commuters. While most have become numb to the frequent occurrence of traffic jams caused by accidents on I-75, on Oct. 1, 2018, Cobb County commuters contended with several obstacles caused by an early-morning crash: cows.
A tractor-trailer carrying almost 90 calves north from Florida tipped over on the I-285 junction with I-75, spilling the contents of the trailer all over the road. While some calves remained trapped inside the overturned trailer after the rollover, others wound up roaming around the highway in Cobb County and surrounding areas for hours.
Motorists following the semi truck reported that rounding the bend on the I-285 ramp became even more dangerous after the crash as rogue cows ran out into traffic. That portion of the ramp is somewhat of a blind curve, and many drivers failed to see the cows until they were face-to-face with them. Hitting a cow, much like hitting a deer, can cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries to drivers.
The accident caused law enforcement to shut down all lanes of I-285 for hours. The ramp where the incident occurred did not open until much later in the day.
All in all, the accident killed 11 calves. Another 70 ran around all over the Chattahoochee River area for hours. Drivers were reporting cow sightings well into the afternoon and evening. Authorities found and captured the final calf around 8:00 p.m. It attempted to evade capture hiding in a creek bed.
The semi driver sustained injuries in the crash. An ambulance transported the driver to the hospital for treatment. A cow trampled a man trying to corral it near a construction area. It is unknown if the bystander sustained injuries as a result. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but authorities do not believe speed was the cause.
