An early morning accident in Upstate New York has killed four cows.

According to the New York State Police (NYSP), an early morning accident involving an overturned tractor-trailer on the off-ramp from Alternate State Route 7 westbound to State Route 9 in Colonie, NY, has resulted in the death of four cows.

Cows Killed in Accident

New York State PoliceCows Killed in Accident in Colonie, NY

Police said that at approximately 4:20 a.m., they were notified of an accident involving an overturned tractor-trailer and cattle hauler. Upon arrival, police determined that the tractor-trailer cattle hauler carrying 41 cows had overturned, leading to a massive hours-long rescue effort.

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First responders from multiple agencies, including the County Animal Response Team (CART), Albany County Sheriff’s Office, Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, New York State Department of Transportation in Latham, Latham Fire Department, and Maplewood Volunteer Fire Department, worked for hours assisting in rescuing all of the cows involved.

Sadly, four of the cows were killed in the accident, according to police.

Cow Rescue in Upstate New York

New York State PoliceCow Rescue in Upstate New York

The other 37 cows did survive the crash and were assessed on the scene by a veterinarian and then transferred into multiple trailers. Police didn’t say what caused the accident, but did say that the extrication and transfer of the cattle, which were traveling from Cambridge, NY, in Washington County, to a holding facility located in Stamford, NY, took approximately 7 hours. The rescue and investigation resulted in a portion of the road being closed for an extended period of time.

The tractor-trailer driver sustained minor injuries in the crash.

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