NOTE: This is an expanded version of a story first posted online last week.

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Fourteen cows died — but more than twice as many survived — after the truck they were being transported in rolled onto its side as it was exiting I-84 early last Thursday morning.

CT State Police (CSP) report Justin Townsend, 35, of Marion, Ohio, was traveling west on the interstate around 3:30 when he began to use the I-84 West Exit 10 off-ramp. Townsend was operating a 2018 Peterbilt 389 truck, towing a cattle trailer carrying 44 live cows.

The truck was registered to Townsend Brothers Trucking Company in Marion, Ohio.

According to the CSP report, Townsend was unaware of the right curve while negotiating the ramp, causing the trailer to turn sideways. The truck struck three chevron directional signs before the truck and trailer came to a stop, on the driver’s side, within the grassy median of the ramp.

In addition to CSP, initial first responders to the scene were Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue (SHVFR) and Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NVAC). SHVFR Chief Anthony Capozziello had command of the scene, which remained active for more than eight hours.

“Upon arrival, there was dense fog and the truck had rolled over on its side,” Capozziello told The Newtown Bee that morning. “There were 44 heads of cattle in the truck.

“The driver was fine,” he continued. “He was alert, with no injuries, and was out of the truck on his own.”

Townsend was checked for injuries, and declined transport to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the animals were trapped inside the large trailer.

Connecticut Department of Agriculture confirmed to The Bee by mid-Thursday morning that the cattle were being transported from Maine to Ohio at the time of the crash.

Seven died in the crash, said Capozziello. Seven others were euthanized, he said.

By early afternoon, Connecticut Department of Agriculture Director of Communications Rebecca Eddy told this newspaper “the remaining 30 have been evaluated by the state vet and are doing well.”

Eddy also noted the state department had been in communication with the owner of the animals, “and are continuing to assess the situation with partners, including CT DOT and CT State Police, to move the remaining animals to a secure location.”

The decision to euthanize was made in coordination with the owner based upon the circumstances present and to prevent further suffering of the animals, she said. Per US Department of Agriculture regulations, the meat from these animals is not fit for human consumption, she added.

Livestock Was Priority

State and local animal control officers responded to the scene, the fire chief said. Newtown Animal Control Officer Carolee Mason was in contact with Capozziello within 20 minutes, and arrived on scene a short time later, he said.

Local farmers were also called on to help at the emergency.

“Shane Powers, a local farmer, was able to help us as was John Ferris, who has farm experience,” Capozziello noted.

“We had to use our extrication tools to cut into the trailer and make openings to start off-loading the cows,” Capozziello said. “Within an hour and a half we had a second transport trailer, a double decker trailer, here to load them onto.”

Modzelewski’s Towing & Recovery had multiple vehicles on scene by 4 am, working to upright and then tow the truck and trailer.

James Modzelewski, owner of the towing and recovery company, said his employees and firefighters “worked as a team to come up with the plan to open the roof and the bottom of the trailer, to gain access to the cows without disturbing them any further.”

It was concern for the livestock that presented the biggest challenge that morning, he said.

“They were pretty calm for the most part, but they’d been in there, in that overturned trailer, since 3:30,” he said. “A couple of them were ornery, or a little snappy. They just wanted to come out, and we needed to make sure no one got hurt during that process.”

Modzelewski reiterated that “all the resources there worked as a team. We came up with a plan to get the livestock out of the trailer. That was the priority.

“We came up with a plan and executed it the best we could,” he said.

The cows, according to Eddy, were transported “to a facility to be evaluated by the State Veterinarian.”

CT DOT and DEEP crews also responded. Capozziello said that while there was no fuel tank rupture from the crash, only a small oil leak “from the engine being turned over,” the state agencies were prepared to handle fluids if they became an issue during the cleanup efforts.

The westbound off-ramp was closed until nearly noon. I-84 West itself remained open for most of the morning. It was closed for a brief time, around 10 am, but quickly reopened.

Towing and recovery crews were able to clear by 12:30, Modzelewski said.

Eddy confirmed to The Newtown Bee this week that the 30 surviving cows "were evaluated by our state veterinarian and reported to be doing well prior to continuing their journey to their intended destination in Ohio."

Long Delays Elsewhere

Westbound traffic, already heavy on weekday mornings, quickly slowed further as drivers became aware of the scene unfolding along the roadway last Thursday morning. At one point, westbound traffic was nearly at a standstill back to Exit 15 in Southbury.

Secondary roads in Sandy Hook, including the four-way intersection in Sandy Hook Center, saw additional traffic that morning as drivers tried to circumvent the interstate slowdown by leaving the highway in Southbury and using back roads to avoid the backup.

Townsend was issued an infraction by CSP for failure to maintain a lane.

Eddy told The Newtown Bee this week that there are no pending charges from CT DOAg regarding the incident.

Eddy did offer a word of caution to those transporting animals.

“Adhere to safe driving practices to provide a safe journey,” she said.

“CT DoAg is committed to ensuring the health and welfare of livestock,” she added. “The USDA provides transportation guidelines and regulations for the movement of animals, which all owners and haulers should review and abide by.”

An email sent to the federal agency did not receive a response in time for this week’s print deadline.

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.