Cow vs Car Incident Reminds Drivers to Watch for Livestock in Open Range Areas.
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, October 2nd, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER COUNTY – Hitting an animal unfortunately happens sometimes when driving, especially in rural areas. Rodents become roadkill all over the place and larger creatures like deer cause an unfortunate number of accidents each year. However, more domestic animals can sometimes wander onto the roadway. Specifically, a very unlucky cow wandered onto Highway 86 near milepost 63 (Eastbound) last week and was struck by an equally unlucky driver. The Oregon State Police issued the following description of the incident:
“On Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at approximately 8:45 pm, a Blue 2016 Toyota Tundra struck a black cow that was standing in the roadway. The cow was deceased and was located on the roadside. The driver of the Toyota Tundra parked the truck in a roadside turnout and contacted law enforcement when cell service was available. OSP responded to the scene on Thursday, September 28, 2023, and located the driver in the area. No injuries were reported by the driver or the passenger of the Tundra. The driver made own arrangements to tow the Tundra from the scene. The owner of the cow, Pine Valley Ranch, was notified. There was no roadway blockage or public property damage.”
Keep in mind that much of Eastern Oregon is considered open range country, meaning livestock owners do not need to legally fence in their livestock and can allow them to graze freely. While cow vs car incidents are not particularly common, they are far from an anomaly. With the days getting shorter and roads getting more hazardous as fog and rain become common again, make sure to always adjust speed to fit conditions and terrain when driving, that includes when passing pastures or open range land. A cow may not be a particularly small animal, but, as this recent incident shows, they can be difficult enough to spot at times that a collision can occur.
