Freight container full of cattle falls off truck on Wash. freeway
SEATTLE - A freight container loaded with cattle fell off a tractor-trailer and onto Interstate 90 Saturday morning, landing on its side and killing some of the animals inside, the Washington State Patrol reported.
Trooper Julie Judson says it's unclear how many of the cows died.
The container, with about 30 cows inside, fell off the truck at about 9 a.m. near 18th Avenue South. After hitting the pavement, the container rolled over onto its side.
Authorities didn't want to release the cows from the container, due to concerns they might immediately wander off into freeway traffic.
The only other option was to right the container with the cattle still inside, so two large tow trucks were brought in, and they slowly righted the container. It was then loaded onto another trailer.
The cattle will now be trucked to Sunnyside, in Central Washington, to be inspected by a veterinarian.
Some lanes of I-90 were closed during the incident, causing minor traffic delays.
poor cows
First of all there is a negligently driving truckdriver  who tipped his load of live animals over. Way to go there, dude. And then what do the Washington State authorities choose to do - upon coming upon this accident scene. Release the cows that could still be alive and saved - release them from the scene of other dead and dying cows all around them inside of this tipped over container? No way. Can't do that.Â
Â
Instead - in an intentional cruel act to those cows - the "authorities" keep the dead, dying and injured cows together in that upside down container for an undetermined amount of time - this news account does not disclose how long that was - until a piece of machinery could be called in - to tip the container back over. And then and only when that occured - do the cows get some priority consideration. And we are assured a veterinarian (who was not called to the scene?) is going to sometime soon - assess these animals and finally "care" for them?Â
Â
Come on...
My guess is they will be USDA inspected
" to be inspected by a veterinarian." - Â suuuuuuuuuuuuure they will be.
To follow up, although it was what looked to be a shipping freight container, it was fully ventilated (barred windows), according to a video I just watched on another news channel. I initially thought it was a totally enclosed shipping container, but it wasn't. Although it still sucks, it wasn't as inhumane as first thought.
 @OSUx2 OSU - you weren't one of those animals left inside of that tipped over container for a prolonger period of time - crammed in there with dead, dying and injured cows all around you. That's for sure. Ah, it sucks alright. The "response" of Washington Authorities. And their callous, cruel anti-animal actions.Â
Â
That is - if you just stop and think about "it". The facts, that is.Â
@OSUx2
 OSUx2 It's still pretty damn inhumane, and I am not a vegetarian. It is horrifying that they re-righted the container WITH these live animals inside adding to injuries, suffering and painful deaths instead of blocking traffic to get/let them out and then re-group them. Just stupid.
where's the beef?
 @Lost River In the Box
Didn't these cattle wear seat belts? Or was the carrier an American Airlines vehicle with floating seats?
Why are they using a Container to transport anything living? They are not ventilated and in this weather get ungodly hot inside. If it fell off the Chassi it was not locked down properly or the locks rattled open, this happens way more than anyone wants to know.
 @swede760  Allow me to educate the uneducated lol, the types of containers differ, some have vents and some do not. The "Live stock" containers have vents and other things . I worked on the farm so, I know the differences.
Poor cows, they must have been terrified! Moo!
Seen on the news this morning in a different state, that a freight container full of people {large commercial bus} went off the highway and tipped over. No word on injuries.Â
Pretty sad. A freight container?
Gross negligence is the only thing that could have caused this horrible accident. I'm an omnivore, but this doesn't sound like a humane way to transport livestock, even if it had stayed on the truck. Someone needs to investigate this thoroughly. =(
 @badcat I agree, something is way wrong here. Can't imagine the torture they went through.
 @Lips  @badcat And to make it worse, they then had to stand in that box with dead/injured cattle for another few hours until they could get somewhere else to unload them.
I agree completely! There are trailers built specifically for hauling livestock - an enclosed container like this is not acceptable.
Probably on a one way trip , but they could be a little Humane about it....they are Lucky a small car didn't get pancaked by the container and Kill someone...
Poor cows... they must have been so scared...and that doesn't sound like a great way to die, either... Â :-(
Â
I wonder how/why the container managed to fall off the trailer... Â How are they usually secured to the trailer? Â Â
 @margay1 Locking tabs are supposed to be manually secured by the driver after the container is set on the trailer. If they were set, the whole tractor-trailer would have been on its side. Badcat is correct...gross negligence.
Â
 @str1ngb3nd3r  @margay1 Hope the United States Humane Society and a few others like the USDA and more kick their asses for horrific negligence.
 @str1ngb3nd3r  ~  Thank you for the info... and I agree with you & Badcat... sure does look like some human really failed to do their job on this one...Â
Okay, I'm totally a meat eater, but a FREIGHT CONTAINER?!?!