Up to 60 cows killed after transport truck plunges from highway overpass in Kansas City
A cattle truck crash in Kansas City, Missouri, is one of several recent ones, as Mercy for Animals urges the US Department of Agriculture to update its rules on animal transport.
A cow being transported to slaughter. Credit: VIER PFOTEN
Up to 60 cows were killed when a tractor-trailer carrying up to 130 animals fell from westbound Interstate 70 on October 18, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri , landing on a vehicle below, authorities say.
As the vehicle plunged on a curve of westbound I-70, dozens of the survivors escaped into surrounding roads. All cows were found and accounted for by the same afternoon. Many of the animals were reported injured, and their well-being was still uncertain at the time of the reports confirming that they had been rounded up.
The truck landed on a vehicle below it, with both drivers sustaining minor injuries. The surviving cows ended up in nearby streets, causing secondary crashes and accidents: authorities confirmed that several of the animals travelled miles before being located.
Cows wandering on a road after escaping following a truck accident in Kansas City, Missouri, in October 2026. Credit: @josecdtx / TikTok
“It was a pretty nasty accident,” said Kansas City Fire Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins, after fire services used drones to locate the cows. ”More difficult has been getting the animals who did not survive.”
According to the Kansas City Police, the truck was carrying up to 130 animals. Its destination is not clear, however transport of live animals can often carry risks.
In the US, live animal transport is regulated by the Twenty-Eight Hour Law, which outlaws transporting animals for over 28 consecutive hours without a break for water, food, and rest. It does not regulate standards related to the vehicle, the animals being fit for transport, climate conditions, or space availability.
Enforcement of this law is reported to be weak and penalties too insignificant to act as a deterrent. Animals can be taken on journeys of thousands of miles with little to no federal oversight.
Similar accidents often occur: in fact, this month a truck carrying 84 cows overturned in Wyoming, outside an annual livestock show and rodeo. Multiple animals had to be euthanized due to injuries. Last month, ten animals died after a semi-truck carrying 48 cows overturned in Colorado. Once again, surviving animals scattered around nearby roads, causing further collisions.
Mercy for Animals is urging the US Department of Agriculture to update the regulations on animal transport with requirements to provide species-appropriate space, rest time, food, water, and protection from extreme weather. The petition says that in many cases when animals endure long journeys with no food or water and without adequate space, they are on their way to slaughter, making their final hours even more stressful and agonizing.
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A cattle truck crash in Kansas City, Missouri, is one of several recent ones, as Mercy for Animals urges the US Department of Agriculture to update its rules on animal transport.