Everyone Avoids Injury When Herd of Cows Travels the Highway
Mahaska County Deputy Ben Johnston struck a cow with his duty vehicle on Sunday evening, causing over 7,000 in damage. Johnston was unable to avoid the cow, and states he was traveling at approximately 35 mph at the time of the accident.
New Sharon, Iowa – There’s a dark stretch of road between Searsboro and New Sharon, and a herd of over 20 Black Angus cows traveling down the middle of the road were difficult to spot.
When reports of the stray cattle came in, deputies from Poweshiek and Mahaska Counties worked their way to the county line north of New Sharon along Highway 146 at around 11:15 pm on Sunday night.
Mahaska County Deputy Ben Johnston was approximately two miles south of the county line when one of the cattle appeared out of a ditch and walked in front of his duty vehicle.
According to the accident report from Poweshiek County Deputy See, “In the 1100 block of highway 146, I observed a Mahaska County Sheriff’s Deputy vehicle had struck a Black Angus cow.
“Deputy Johnston stated he was heading north on highway 146 to assist with the call. Deputy Johnston had his emergency lights activated. As Deputy Johnston approached the vehicles shown in the diagram [below], a cow entered the roadway from the east ditch. Deputy Johnston was unable to avoid the cow, and struck the cow head on. Deputy Johnston stated his speed at the time of the accident was approximately 35 miles per hour. Deputy Johnston’s patrol vehicle suffered damage to its passenger’s side front quarter panel, the front bumper, and the hood of the vehicle. The patrol vehicle was towed from the scene,” continued See’s report.
Deputy Johnston’s wasn’t the only accident to take place due to the cattle on the roadway. Deputy See initially responded to a vehicle that had struck cattle at the Poweshiek/Mahaska County line. “I arrived on scene at the Poweshiek-Mahaska line, and observed a vehicle had struck six cows. Five of the cows were dead.”
The three passengers in that vehicle also escaped injury.
Accident scene illustration. Deputy Ben Johnston.
