On the night of Wednesday, October 16, 2013, in Comanche County, Oklahoma, four cows were hit and killed on Highway 7 due to a series of vehicle collisions. Though no one was seriously injured, these accidents left three vehicles heavily damaged.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol said that the four cows had gotten to the road from their pasture through a creek on the south side of Highway 7. The first two cows were hit by a vehicle heading east on the Beaver Creek Bridge; the third cow was hit by a vehicle heading west, followed by the fourth cow that was slammed into by an SUV. The Comanche County Sherrif’s Department said that it’s not unusual for drivers to hit stray livestock, but this specific incident was unusual because these cows were killed so close together and just minutes apart.
Oklahoma does not have an open range law, meaning livestock owners are legally responsible for keeping their animals constrained within fencing at all times to keep them off the roadway. Because the livestock managed to wonder from their pastures and onto the roadways causing these incidents, the owners can be ticketed, be responsible for any and all damages and the victims in the crash can file a civil suit for damages to themselves and their vehicles.
Comanche County Undersheriff John Stowe said the best way to prevent an accident like this from happening again is for livestock owners to be proactive by making sure all their fences are maintained and by drivers being vigilant and calling highway patrol if they see any animals on or near the roadway.
This video is a perfect example of how destructive, and potentially injurious accidents are when livestock are involved. The incident took place in Russia. Unfortunately for the driver and the cow, there were no fences along the roads to keep the livestock safely away from busy traffic.
In the recent case of Hastings vs Sauve, Karen Hastings was injured when she hit a cow while driving her van. The cow had been kept on the property owned by Laurier Suave, and the cow itself was owned by either Albert Williams or Williams Delarm. There was evidence that the fence separating Sauve’s property from the road was overgrown and in bad repair.
In this case, the highest court in New York state held that the landowner & owners of the cow are liable for negligently allowing the farm animal to stray from the property onto the roadway.
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