BUNKER HILL, W.Va. — When a truck with a livestock trailer was hit by another vehicle Monday night, the South Berkeley community sprang into action.
Robert Melton is the owner of 75 Ranch LLC out of Siloam, North Carolina. He says they lost 27 out of 58 head of cattle they were hauling due to the accident Monday night on I-81 just north of the Virginia line.
February 3rd Crash on I-81 killed 27 cattle being transported (Photo: South Berkeley Volunteer Fire Company)
Melton tells The Panhandle News Network numerous people stopped to help out, according to the driver of his livestock trailer.
The community came out to help, as did Berkeley County Animal Control .
The South Berkeley Volunteer Fire Department reports they were called out around 9:40 p.m. along with the 167th Airlift Wing – West Virginia Air National Guard, Berkeley County Emergency Ambulance Authority, and Clear Brook Fire & Rescue for a multi-vehicle crash just south of the Runnymeade Road overpass.
Upon arrival, they found five passenger cars, one “hot shot” commercial vehicle and a truck towing a stock trailer involved. The scene extended approximately 100 yards from end-to-end.
The accident closed both directions of the interstate for a time.
Once they determined there were no people entrapped in the vehicles, they went to work trying to contain the loose calves that had escaped the crashed stock trailer.
“A call to area farmers by our 911 dispatch resulted in a family immediately volunteering to bring stock trailers to contain the cattle,” according to Deputy Chief Brad Wright’s report.
Among those responding was Shelley Brock of Brock Construction, who told first responders they “were glad to assist in any way to keep those babies safe.”
Melton said lost cattle amounted to about $30,000 in value. He says the truck and trailer are a total loss and amount to about $95,000 in loss combined. Aside from the lost cattle, there were no people injured.
He said a truck crossed the median and hit their truck and trailer.
First Sergeant J. A. Meeks of the West Virginia State Police said there were no injuries on the scene, but one driver, an elderly man, was taken to Berkeley Medical Center to be evaluated.
The WVSP investigation indicates the vehicle driven by the elderly man was traveling south on I-81 and came to a stop in the left lane. “A truck hauling a flatbed trailer then rear-ended that vehicle causing the truck to cross the median, ultimately striking the truck and trailer hauling the cattle which was traveling North on I-81.”
(Photos Courtesy Robert Melton)
