Dozens of cows ended up loose on the roads in Kansas City, Missouri, after a semitruck carrying more than 100 cattle crashed off a highway overpass, according to ABC News. The tractor-trailer fell from the westbound I-70 curve onto southbound I-35, landing on a car below and scattering surviving animals around the city.
The crash happened shortly before 3 a.m., according to authorities. Kansas City Police Sergeant Phil DiMartino said the truck was carrying between 120 and 130 cattle, with an estimated 45 to 60 killed in the accident. Both the truck driver and the motorist who got into the accident sustained minor injuries and were treated at local hospitals. However, it was not clear who was at fault.
The surviving cattle fled the crash site, prompting additional calls to police and contributing to other traffic accidents. Authorities worked to locate and capture the animals, some of which had wandered several miles from the scene.
The cows roam free
‘It’s a very dangerous situation when we have any sort of loose livestock or animals in a metropolitan area. They’re big animals. A lot of them have been injured. They’ve been through a very traumatic experience, and so they’re roaming free,’ said Michael Hopkins, the Chief of Kansas City Fire Battalion, according to Papa Local. He also described the event as ‘a pretty nasty accident.’
Videos posted on social media platforms show people trying to catch the cows that walk freely on the highway. Emergency crews used drones to track the cattle after the crash, Hopkins said. A private company working with the trucking company later sent workers on horseback to help round up the animals that had escaped. Recovering the cattle that did not survive proved more difficult, he added.
The crash occurred on a day when the Kansas City Chiefs were scheduled to host the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL game. Authorities did not expect major disruptions to game-day traffic, citing the widespread publicity surrounding the accident.
Following the incident, police believed they had accounted for all the surviving animals. The incident had forced authorities to close some roads while crews responded to the crash and searched for cattle roaming the area.
Although the immediate search for the surviving cattle appeared to be nearing its end, the crash left authorities with a significant cleanup operation after the truck plunged from the overpass. Investigators had yet to provide further details about what caused the vehicle to leave the highway.
Published: Oct 19, 2026 12:15 pm