A serious crash involving a tractor-trailer carrying approximately 120 cows caused chaos on Route 29 in Danville, Virginia, Tuesday morning, leaving the driver injured and dozens of cattle loose on the roadway and surrounding areas.

The incident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. on September 16th, when the cattle hauler overturned while taking the Route 29 southbound exit toward Caswell County, North Carolina. The truck, en route to South Carolina, was reportedly carrying livestock owned by another party.

Driver Injured, Cows Escape

The driver, 34-year-old Kevin Hurt, was transported to a hospital with serious injuries. Authorities stated that charges for failure to maintain proper control are pending against Hurt. The crash resulted in a significant loss of livestock, with multiple cows killed and 20 to 30 animals breaking free from the trailer upon impact.

Drones and Cowboys Used to Track Cattle

Danville Police and emergency crews, with assistance from Danville’s Life Saving Crew, launched an hours-long effort to recover the escaped cattle. Drones were deployed to search from the air while cowboys on the ground helped corral the livestock. By 7:48 p.m., officials confirmed that only three cows remained unaccounted for.

The wreckage blocked traffic for much of the day. Route 29 southbound was fully reopened around 8:40 p.m. after all cattle were either recovered or secured and the damaged trailer was cleared.

Officials have not released a final count of how many animals were killed in the crash, and no further details about the condition of the remaining livestock or the specific cause of the rollover have been provided.

According to ABC 13 WSET.