The Wyoming Highway Patrol issued an alert Tuesday to motorists after multiple head of cattle were struck over 24 hours on Highway 14A in the Hunt Mountain area.
A WHP Facebook post detailed the devastating impact of one of the mishaps, showing a heavily damaged truck that killed a cow in an open range area. The driver of the truck refused medical treatment.
According to the WHP, it’s that time of year when ranchers are moving cattle off of mountains, sometimes leaving a few behind in open ranges.
“The hazard of a stray cow in an open range area is a hazard like any other wild animal in Wyoming — meaning the ranchers will try their best to round up all their cattle, but motorists need to make sure to be careful, “ said the WHP, advising drivers to keep their “head on a swivel.” “In these colder months, snow can drive cattle toward the road, creating a hazard.”
Drivers Liable
Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, reminded motorists that cattle have the right-of-way in open range areas. In addition to vehicle damage, drivers are also financially liable if they hit a cow.
“Cattle prices are several thousand dollars and are settled with insurance claims,” he said.
The Nature Conservancy of Wyoming has reported that there are more than 7,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions in Wyoming every year, with more than 90% involving mule deer and pronghorn, which can cause enough damage to total any vehicle.
Walk Away, You're Lucky
Livestock-vehicle incidents aren’t as common but are considerably more dangerous. The consensus is that if you walk away from a cow-car collision anywhere close to or faster than the average speed limit, you’re extremely lucky.
“It's devastating to your vehicle,” Sweetwater County Sheriff John Grossnickle told Cowboy State Daily. “I think it's easy to underestimate the size of a cow when we're driving down the road at 70 mph. An impact is going to cause devastating damage, no matter what vehicle you’re driving.”
In inclement weather or during the night, avoiding cows becomes more difficult. You might think it’s easy to avoid hitting a cow, but Grossnickle put the risk into a darker perspective.
“A black cow on an empty road in the cover of darkness? Even the most attentive driver coming around a blind corner, or up or down a hill, would struggle to see that,” he said. “You could try your best, but in our environment, with the existence of free-range livestock and wild animals, collisions are totally unavoidable in certain cases, no matter how much you pay attention.”
The average weight of an adult mule deer is between 95 and 200 pounds. That’s not very heavy, but still enough to total a vehicle if it collides with an adult mule deer at high speed.
Cows weigh a lot more than mule deer, and the average-sized cow stands a lot taller. A cow collision is not only more devastating but can also be lethal.
According to collision experts, striking large animals can result in $10,000 to $30,000 in damage to a car, with horses, elk, and moose causing the most damage.
Total Losses
When Cowboy State Daily called Dallas Tyrrell last month, at Tyrrell Auto Centers in Cheyenne, he had two vehicles on-site that came from the scene of a cow-vehicle collision on the same highway near Torrington.
“They’re both total losses,” he said.
Deer and pronghorn can cause significant damage to any vehicle, but Tyrrell said hitting a cow “absolutely disintegrates” them.
“It’s horrific,” he said. “All the airbags will be deployed, and the impact can tear engines off their hinges. And if the cow doesn’t go over the windshield, it’ll come through it. Hitting a cow will completely tear any vehicle apart, or worse, depending on how it goes.”
Tyrrell said the driver of one of the vehicles was hospitalized after hitting a cow, but there were no fatalities from either incident. That’s rare and fortunate for all involved.
“I know people who hit cows and passed away instantly on impact, and the cow passes almost every time,” he said. “You’re lucky to walk away after hitting a cow.”
Scott Schwebke can be reached at scott@cowboystatedaily.com.
