MOUNT PLEASANT — Five calves died in a crash in the southbound lanes of Interstate 81 on Friday morning in Foster Township.
The trailer was being pulled by a pickup truck en route from New York state to Hagerstown, Maryland, when the crash occurred.
Inside the trailer were 78 calves destined for Georgia, the driver of the pickup truck, Jacob D. Murchison, said at the scene.
The 73 other animals were placed in another trailer that was brought to the scene to take them to Maryland where they will be examined for injuries and given food and water.
Less than a week old, the calves will be taken to Georgia after the break in Hagerstown, Murchison said.
Each of the animals is valued at $150.
State police at Frackville said the crash occurred as Murchison, 31, of Thomson, Georgia, was driving south in the area of mile marker 115.1 in Foster Township.
Trooper Michael Pahira said Murchison fell asleep behind the wheel of the 1999 Ford F-350 he was driving and was awoke from the sound of the rumble strips he drove over while leaving the road.
Pahira said that Murchison was already off the road alongside the passing lane when he tried to correct the vehicle but over compensated, causing the truck and trailer to jackknife and the trailer to flip onto its left side. Murchison was wearing a seat belt and was not injured.
Southbound traffic was slowed for several hours while crews worked to get the calves onto the second trailer and workers from Hoffman Services and Act Towing removed the pickup truck and trailer from the roadway.
As a result of the crash, Pahira said, Murchison will be cited for not driving on roadways laned for traffic.