On Monday, December 16, 2024, at approximaely 11:30 am., Troopers responded to a single vehicle crash at Exit 79 on the Turnpike in Lewiston involving a pickup truck hauling a cattle trailer.

The driver was traveling southbound when the incident occurred.  The initial investigation indicates that the rear doors of the cattle hauler were not properly secured; causing them to unlatch.   As a result, the cattle iniside the trailer shifted, leading to 3 animals falling from the back of the trailer onto the roadway and one cow running out of the vehicle once the traffic had stopped.  One cow landed in the passing lane and suffered a broken leg while two others sustained road rash and were located on the shoulder of the road.  The fourth cow ran out of the trailer and into the woods nearby.  Troopers secured one of the cows by tying it to the back of the cruiser, using a buddy system to help calm the other animals and prevent further movement.

Traffic was impacted, with one lane temporarily shut own as the driver, Dustin Bubar, 30, of Stetson, worked to reload the animals into the trailer.  Bubar was cited for Unsecured Load on Vehicle.  Animal Control Officers from the Lewiston Police Department assisted on scene, along with passersby who stopped to help.

Unfortunately, two of the injured cows are expected to be euthanized due to the severity of their injuries.

The crash remains under investigation according to a press release from Shannon Moss, Public Information Officer, for the Maine Department of Public Safety, Augusta.