A 30-foot trailer carrying three sheep and two pregnant cows overturned Wednesday on the westbound Foothill (210) Freeway in Sylmar, seriously injuring the driver of the pickup truck that was hauling the rig.
Paramedics took the driver to a hospital in serious condition following the crash, which occurred about 11 a.m. at Hubbard Street, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The motorist, a 72-year-old resident of Norco, was going westbound in the number three lane at approximately 55 mph when he allowed the vehicle to veer off to the right side of the road edge, striking the asphalt curb and concrete embankment, according to a California Highway Patrol Officer Peter Bishop.
Both the vehicle and its trailer transporting livestock overturned. The livestock remained in the box trailer, Cordova said.
Animal care workers were sent to the scene, along with firefighters with specialized equipment.
The sheep were unhurt but one cow was in “distress,” Humphrey said. Crews hoisted both cows from the trailer using a large hydraulic boom, an effort that took nearly three hours to complete.
The livestock were taken to the East Valley Animal Shelter in Van Nuys for evaluation, Humphrey said. One cow died, ABC7 reported.
The motorist was taken to Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar for treatment of his injuries, according to Bishop said.
Two freeway lanes were blocked, and traffic was snarled for miles.
— City News Service