Indiana state police say a cattle hauler crash Monday caused gridlocks on westbound I-80/94 in Lake County.
Police say a tractor trailer was attempting to enter the westbound lanes of I-80 from the Indiana Toll Road (I-90) Monday afternoon at around 4:30 p.m. when the crash occured. Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver entered the curve at a speed too fast and lost control of the truck. The truck, operated by Kash Livestock Express LLC, and trailer then entered the westbound lanes of I-80/94 where it rolled over. The vehicle rolled into the path of a van which resulted in the van striking the overturned vehicle.
Police say as a result of the crash, approximately 18 cattle were released from the trailer with the remaining 72 trapped inside the trailer. Sixteen cows died at the scene, some of those were due to injuries as a result of the crash and some had to be euthanized by the veterinarians that responded to the scene.
The driver of the truck, 25 year-old Jared Kroeger, from Lennox, South Dakota, was cited for driving at a speed greater than is reasonable. Neither of the drivers were injured. The cattle were being transported from Ohio to Nebraska.
Interstate lanes were shut down for approximately 6 hours with only one lane of traffic open.
Veterinarians were contacted from the Westchester Animal Clinic located in Chesterton for assistance with the injured animals.