Submitted by Aiken Jacobsen on
Late last month a bizarre occurrence resulted in several car accidents and the temporary shutdown of a major California interstate. This case shows us that animals who are not properly maintained and guarded by their owners can cause a lot of trouble, even if they are not violent.
Drivers on Interstate 5 were surprised and terrified to see nearly 200 goats running across the highway on an evening in late February. The goats had apparently escaped from a fenced-in pasture many miles away in Sacramento County.
The goats crossed the highway as a group, which resulted in injuries to both humans and goats. Of the 200 total goats about 40 were critically injured by cars and had to be humanely killed by California Highway Patrol officers at the scene.
The goats also caused a major delay on the highway as well as chaos and confusion to drivers. The highway was temporarily shut down after approximately 7 car accidents occurred. One woman was taken to the hospital with injuries.
The owner of the goats had the rest of his herd returned to him, and police are investigating the man. It is possible that he could face charges of negligence for allowing his goats to escape. He apologized for the accident and said he is relieved that more humans were not hurt.
This accident is still under investigation, but it serves as a reminder that animal owners can be held responsible for the actions of their animals. For instance, personal injury lawsuits are often filed against animal owners when their dog bites a human.
In cases similar to this one, an animal owner might be sued for negligence in maintaining his premises and allowing his animals to escape and cause a hazard on public roads.
It is fortunate that this incident ended with little injury to human life, but the experience did cause damage to vehicles and other property and was emotionally traumatic for all involved. It just goes to show that owning animals is a big responsibility, and sometimes a liability.
Source: Huliq.com, "40 goats dead following Interstate 5 stampede," Neal J. Leitereg, 28 February 2011
