COLORADO SPRINGS — The southbound I-25 exit at Rockrimmon is back open after a group of cattle were roaming around in the area and are now back in their trailer.
Colorado Springs Police said the owner was taking the cattle to their winter pasture when a safety gate on the trailer malfunctioned. Some of the cows then fell out on I-25 around 10:30 Tuesday morning.
Luckily, there were no major injuries and no cows were hit.
Roads are open. The cattle are back in their trailer. The owner was taking them to their winter pasture, per CSPD, when a safety gate on the trailer malfunctioned. Some of the cows then fell out on I-25. Miraculously, no major injuries. Just minor things @KOAA
— Sam Kraemer (@SamKraemerTV) December 3, 2019
Colorado College Women's Soccer Coach Geoff Bennett also witnessed the crash. On Twitter, Bennett said he saw four cattle tumble out of the trailer onto the highway and several people try to herd the cattle up the road. He called it a bizarre morning, noting the cattle got up unscathed.
I witnessed this in front of me this morning. Trailer going 70mph. Back flies open and four cattle tumble onto the highway. Skid for what seems like forever and then all get up without being injured. Then about 20-30 of us literally herd the cattle up the road. #bizarremorning https://t.co/E0a5274oZE
— Geoff Bennett (@CCWSoccerCoach) December 3, 2019
Officer Dale Peterson was one of the officers called to the scene. He has cattle, which was part of the reason he got the call, and said he was surprised to see no major injuries to anyone involved.
"The cows didn't appear to be very injured. They were scraped up just a little bit. They weren't limping or favoring any body parts, so very fortunate that the cattle and no people were hurt," Peterson said.
The cattle gathered in the grass at the Rockrimmon exit of I-25 southbound. Once there, Colorado Springs Police shut down the exit, so that cowboys could lead the herd all the way to the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame where they were ushered back into trailers.
Police also blocked off the intersections along the way, allowing the cattle to run without endangering other drives. As that was happening, ranch hands were dropping so-called "cattle cake" as a way of enticing those cattle to follow them.
"Most of the time, you have your cows... Try to get them trained where when you shake the bag it's in, or the bucket or whatever that it's in, they know that's good eating for them, so they'll gravitate toward that feed," Peterson said.
The owner and employee of the ranch that owns the cattle declined to comment on this story.
