Thousands of animals suffering extreme pain, trauma and death in livestock truck accidents.
RSPCA South Australia is alarmed at the number of farm animals being injured and killed in truck rollovers and other road accidents. There have been five serious accidents involving livestock trucks on SA roads in the past six months, resulting in thousands of cattle, sheep and chickens being either killed or injured so badly that they have had to be euthanased, and leaving surviving animals traumatised.
The truck drivers in three of these accidents are now facing charges, while police investigations continue into one of the other two accidents, both of which happened last month.
SA Police has released the following details about the accidents where charges have been laid:
- About 6.20am on Monday 4 September 2023 – B-Double truck carrying cattle collided with a concrete barrier and stobie pole and rolled on Ludgvan Street, Burra. A 43-year-old man from the Clare Valley is facing charges of driving without due care and driving unlicensed and is due to appear in the Clare Magistrates Court at a later date.
- About 11.15am on Sunday 12 November 2023 – a road train rollover fully laden with two trailers of cattle rolled on the Goyder Highway, Bundey in the Mid-North, near Burra. A 53-year-old local man is facing charges of driving without due care and driving under the influence of methamphetamine and is due to appear in the Nuriootpa Magistrates Court at a later date.
- About 4pm on Wednesday 6 December 2023 - truck carrying 383 sheep rolled at the intersection of Booborowie & Kimbo Road, Booboorowie (near Burra). A 48-year-old local man is facing charges of driving without due care and is due to appear in the Port Pirie Magistrates Court at a later date.
In addition to these accidents, RSPCA SA inspectors and rescue officers attended at the following two livestock truck accidents last month:
- About 12.20am on Friday 5 January 2024 - truck carrying 275 sheep rolled on Duke's Highway at Culburra in the south-east, killing approximately 220 of them. Police investigations are ongoing.
- About 5.30am on Friday 19 January 2024 - a semi-trailer loaded with 3,200 chickens rolled on the corner of Kepa and Schultz Roads, Kepa (near Murray Bridge). Approximately half of the chickens died or were euthanased. Following a police investigation, the driver was issued with an expiation notice for driving a vehicle without having proper control of the vehicle.
In all five accidents, the drivers were uninjured or suffered minor injuries.
RSPCA SA is not alleging wrongdoing on the part of the drivers involved in any of the accidents, pending the outcome of any police investigations and court action. However, RSPCA SA Chief Inspector Andrew Baker has described the number of accidents and reports received by the organisation's inspectorate about careless driving of livestock trucks as alarming. He said the situation pointed to an urgent need for drivers to recognise their duty of care towards the welfare of the animals they are transporting.
"These are not inanimate objects being trucked around, these are sentient animals whose welfare should be a top priority for these drivers as they negotiate our roads and traffic," Inspector Baker said.
"Too often we hear reports of drivers taking corners too fast - even if the truck doesn't tip, that kind of reckless driving is throwing those animals around and causing them distress and possible injuries.
"It's very confronting for those of us who are called in to clean up when these trucks roll – the suffering of animals that are still alive and often trapped in the wreckage is horrendous.
"Transport is already stressful enough for farm animals - anyone who pulls up next to a truck can see this.
"We are calling on employers to review their training of livestock truck drivers to ensure animals suffer as little stress as possible and arrive uninjured and calm at their destinations."
