NYC bridge crash of livestock truck sparks call to save animals headed to slaughterhouse

Jan. 24--A livestock truck smash-up on the Verrazanno Bridge Thursday created a nightmare for rush-hour commuters -- and sparked a call for new legislation on how slaughterhouse animals are treated after crashes.

An assemblage of 21 sheep, calves, lambs and goats were in the back of a tractor-trailer on their way to Brooklyn when their rig rear-ended a cement truck on the bridge's upper level about 4:15 a.m., officials said.

One sheep died on the scene, while two more sheep and a calf were injured and taken to the N.J.-based Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue. One of the rescued sheep died of its injuries.

The truck hauling the livestock suffered extensive damage, forcing the container to remain on the bridge for hours so a new truck could be brought in to haul it to the slaughterhouse.

Firefighters and MTA Bridge and Tunnel officers provided oxygen and water to the cooped-up animals as they waited for a replacement vehicle, officials said. Witnesses said some of the animals ended up escaping the container and had to be corralled as the crash was investigated.

In an ironic twist, the 2 lambs, two goats and three calves healthy and enough to walk onto the new truck were taken to complete their journey to the slaughterhouse, outraging animal advocates.

Mike Stura, the president of the Wantage-based sanctuary, said when he arrived on the scene, only the injured animals remained.

"We were only able to get three. When I got there, there were only four animals, and one had passed away from the accident," he said. "I took two sheep and a calf.... The one sheep, even though we tried to stabilize him, passed away."

The surviving sheep and calf are "doing OK," Stura said.

"They looked beat up a little bit," he said. He hasn't named them yet.

The driver of the livestock truck was taken to Staten Island University Hospital North with a minor injury. The cement truck driver refused medical attention at the scene.

Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn), whose district includes Bay Ridge, which is on the other side of the Verrazzano Bridge, said Thursday's crash inspired him to submit legislation with Councilman Fernando Cabrera (D-Bronx) demanding livestock animals involved in crashes while being transported to slaughterhouses automatically be re-directed to sanctuaries.

"These animals must have been terrified as it is," Brannan said. "To then scoop them up and bring them to their final destination slaughterhouse is just crazy."

Allie Feldman Taylor, a spokeswoman for Voters for Animal Rights, agreed.

"They have suffered enough," she said. "Even if they weren't hurt in the crash, these animals are packed tightly shoulder to shoulder in a truck for days at a time and driven for hundreds of miles in complete darkness and cold conditions."

"If they were dogs or cats, there would be no question that authorities would be stepping in to make sure that they would go to an animal sanctuary," she added.

Animal rescuers showed up at the bridge to help care for the animals but were turned away by first responders, who said their assistance wasn't needed.

Matthew Dominguez, political adviser for Voters for Animal Rights, said that livestock truck crashes are "all too common" as the animals are being shuttled from industrial farms to slaughterhouses across the country.

"These accidents happen almost every day and these animals have no protection from any kind of a collision," Dominguez said. "We have seatbelts and airbags but they are just jammed in there and aren't restrained in any way. Some of the smaller animals are only given spaces the size of an iPad."

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If an animal is killed or injured they can't be brought to the slaughterhouse so drivers leave them for the local municipality to clean up, according to Dominguez.

"It's an insurance claim for them," Dominguez said. "They don't care about the animals. To them, it's like a truck filled with computers crashed."

Officials said that all Brooklyn-bound lanes was closed as well as one Staten Island-bound lane for several hours as the crash was cleaned up. All vehicles were re-routed to the lower level of the bridge.

"Only on Staten Island there would be a accident where a truck with livestock in it crashed and chickens and sheep are walking around on the Verrazzano Bridge," Twitter user FaithTheLibra wrote.

Motorists estimated arriving to work two to three hours late as the crash sparked delays stretching back to New Jersey.

With Shant Shahrigian

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