Skip to main content

Sheep might fly

Motorists on a major highway in Australia were delayed recently by large numbers of sheep falling into the roadway. The incident occurred near the town of Geelong when a livestock truck overturned at a highway slip road. A steady stream of the unfortunate animals then fell onto the busy Princes Highway directly below, impacting onto two vehicles in the process and halting traffic for a number of hours. The truck was carrying several hundred animals and large numbers were killed or injured as they fell onto
October 9, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Motorists on a major highway in Australia were delayed recently by large numbers of sheep falling into the roadway. The incident occurred near the town of Geelong when a livestock truck overturned at a highway slip road. A steady stream of the unfortunate animals then fell onto the busy Princes Highway directly below, impacting onto two vehicles in the process and halting traffic for a number of hours. The truck was carrying several hundred animals and large numbers were killed or injured as they fell onto the roadway. Luckily, none of the human vehicle occupants were injured in the incident. The highway had to be closed temporarily to allow the roadway to be cleared of dead and dying animals and for any unharmed sheep to be herded away.

Meanwhile in Russia, a driver was forced to halt his car when sheep began circling the vehicle and preventing it from further motion. The animals chased each other round the vehicle and were undeterred in this action, despite the man’s revving of the engine and his curses. The incident was captured on a 22 second video clip that was widely viewed on the internet. The animals later declined to comment on their protest.

Related Content

  • Powered two wheeler safety plan for Europe
    November 16, 2015
    A new road safety strategy for powered two wheelers in Europe has been set out jointly following discussions. The results of analysis have been set out in a joint position statement by the bodies FEMA, FIM and FIM Europe. In the draft report FEMA and FIM have identified seven major areas of great importance that are in accordance with the positions of the riders’ organisations in Europe and elsewhere. Key recommendations and statements from the OECD-ITF draft report highlight issues for the safety of powe
  • Track stand tactics take top honours
    January 5, 2015
    Cyclists and vehicle drivers may have their differences on the road but they can, nonetheless, admire each other’s skills. The ability of an articulated truck driver to back up while threading his lengthy vehicle through a narrow passage is often admired by cyclists. Drivers, too, can admire the ability of a cyclist at a stop light to balance his bicycle while stationary, without taking his or her feet off the pedals, a feat called the track stand.
  • Roads to Recovery after the pandemic
    January 11, 2021
    IRF president Bill Halkias shares the Federation’s view on post-Covid
  • WheelRight’s John Catling says put the brakes on under-inflation
    September 30, 2016
    It’s official – Britain’s tyres are unloved and under-inflated, according to recent research. But WheelRight’s chief executive, John Catling, believes that the research results are indicative of a global problem.