Cow vs car crash leaves 1 bovine deceased near Union
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, September 26th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION – The Oregon State Police recently responded to a reported cow vs car crash along State Route 237B. The crash occurred at roughly 09:12 P.M. on Thursday, September 19, near milepost 24, roughly 7.5 miles south of Union. The official OSP description of the crash, as listed in a recent media log, is as follows:
“A white Chevy pickup was traveling southbound on State Route 237B near milepost 24 at a stated speed of 55 MPH during hours of darkness. The driver encountered a black cow standing in his lane of travel and was unable to avoid a collision. The white Chevy struck the cow and then left the roadway via the right shoulder, broke through a barbed wire fence, and came to a final rest in the adjacent field. The cow was located deceased along the southbound shoulder. The Chevy was towed from the scene by Captain Hooks Towing.”
Thankfully, no injuries were reported. As a reminder to drivers when traveling rural highways, particularly at night or in low visibility conditions, many Oregon counties fall partially if not fully under open range districts, increasing the likelihood that livestock may roam on or near roadways.
According to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Grant, Harney and Lake counties are entirely open range while Union, Baker, Wallowa, Malheur and Umatilla counties contain both open-range and livestock district lands. The Oregon Revised Statutes chapter 607 defines open range as “an area wherein livestock may lawfully be permitted to run at large.”
