At around 8.30pm on Tuesday 23 July 2024, a truck carrying dairy steers and calves crashed into the Cremorne Railway Bridge over Alexandra Avenue, in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra.
The top sections of the truck were completely crushed, with many cows suffering excruciating injuries including broken legs and necks. Others jumped from the top of the truck and attempted to run, with some sighted running down major roads.
FTP investigators attended and documented the horrific crash, filming injured and panicked cows as they tried to free themselves from the wreckage of the top level.
Despite vets being in attendance, several cows were euthanised on site due to the extent of their injuries. Others were tranquilised to aid in their removal from the vehicle.
Just before 1am, police moved on the crowd of concerned citizens who had gathered to film and witness the removal of the cows. Despite multiple offers of homes for the cows, police refused to pass on contact details to the owners, informing those gathered that they would have to contact Agriculture Victoria.
We will be sharing more photos and footage from the crash in the coming days.
While crashes and rollovers of trucks carrying farmed animals are common, they usually occur in rural areas, not in the heart of Melbourne where they are less easy to ignore. This incident is a direct consequence of our society's support for the dairy and meat industries.
