Trailer tips, letting loose 31 cows on interstate

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A livestock trailer tipped over, closing both sides of Interstate-5 in Oregon Sunday, March 13, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue said. When the livestock trailer tipped, 31 cows got loose and roamed the freeway near Wilsonville. Traffic started to back up in both directions dues to the closure.

Crews worked to contain the cows and eventually loaded them into another trailer. The northbound lanes reopened around 4:15 p.m., around two hours after the incident, but it took a little longer for the southbound lanes to open. The last cow proved especially hard to catch, TVFR spokesperson Heather Carpenter told the Oregonian.

All lanes reopened around 5 p.m., TVFR said.

TVFR said the driver of the tipped trailer did not need to be taken to a hospital for treatment. Some of the cows were injured in the accident and were shot to “put them out of their misery,” Carpenter said to the Oregonian.