The A40 motorway that runs through the Alps had to be closed in both directions near the town of Vougy when the cattle truck flipped over in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The truck was carrying a load of 60 cows, which spilled out onto the motorway in the aftermath of the crash, presenting a danger to other motorists on the stretch between Geneva and Chamonix.
A40 fermée dans les 2 sens a Vougy. Camion couché, 60 vaches. Des betes divaguent sur l'autoroute. pic.twitter.com/zpPipFsg7x
— David Gossart (@DavidMessager) August 6, 2015
Police and firefighters who arrived at the scene had the job of trying to round-up the stray cattle onto another truck as well as rescuing the animals trapped in the trailer of the truck.
Bétaillère renversée. 63 bovins en divagation et autoroute A40 coupée dans les feu sens a #Vougy #HauteSavoie. pic.twitter.com/jwRBuRN45g
— ledauphine 74 (@LeDLHauteSavoie) August 6, 2015
Some of the cows however did not survive the crash while police were forced to put down others that were injured or which refused to go on the new truck.
According to the local newspaper Le Messenger the lorry crashed after a tire burst. The vehicle’s Italian driver survived unhurt.
By late Thursday morning the motorway remained closed between the exits at Bonneville and Cluses.
On Wednesday The Local reported how a section of motorway in western France had to be closed when a truck carrying 20 tonnes of mayonnaise went up in smoke and left a greasy dangerous spread all over the tarmac.
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