A Holstein dairy cow estimated to weigh as much as 1,200 pounds was struck and killed after it wandered onto a highway in Chemung County on Aug. 21, according to the sheriff’s office.
So far, sheriff’s investigators have not figured out where the cow came from and who it belonged to.
The sheriff’s office said deputies were dispatched at 8:38 p.m. to the eastbound lane of I-86, west of exit 57, in the Town of Ashland for a report of an animal struck by a motor vehicle.
Officials said the driver of a 2025 Toyota Corolla, Alexander McDonald of Tucson, Arizona, told deputies that he and a passenger were eastbound on I-86, heading from Liverpool to Owego, when they suddenly came upon a cow standing in the middle of the road.
The vehicle was not able to stop before hitting the cow, which was killed on impact, the sheriff’s office said.
Both McDonald and his passenger had minor injuries from the collision. They were evaluated at the scene, but did not require further medical attention, the sheriff’s office said.
The vehicle sustained extensive damage.
Sheriff: Cow’s origin remains a mystery
The sheriff’s office reached out to several local farmers in an attempt to determine where the cow came from, but that effort came up empty. Authorities now believe the cow did not belong to a nearby farm.
The sheriff’s office said the cow’s only identifying markings are an ear and back tag with the number 662. There were no identifying markers on the animal itself.
The sheriff’s office is encouraging anyone who was traveling in the area at the time of the incident and has information to contact the Traffic Division at 607-737-2950.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: 1,200 pound Holstein killed in Chemung County highway collision. Police seek cow owner
Reporting by Neal Simon, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
