Injured stock priority; vet

EMMA DANGERFIELD

Calls are being made to tighten up protocol around stock truck crashes following the prolonged suffering and ultimate suffocation of animals in an incident last Thursday afternoon.

Kaikoura Volunteer Fire Brigade chief Ian Walker and Kaikoura vet Dan Fleming are among those concerned about the way the accident scene on State Highway 1 was managed. Cattle were left piled on top of each other in the upturned trailer for more than two hours after the accident, in which a north-bound Stocklines truck and trailer unit tipped over.

Roading contractors on site who wanted to minimise traffic disruption hampered efforts to free the animals, a situation which should not have been allowed to happen, Mr Walker says.

"If emergency services had been left to deal with it, it would have been handled much better," he said. "People on the highway just have to be patient in these situations – what's another 20 minutes to their journey in order to free animals?"

Dan Fleming, of Kaikoura Vet Care, who was called in to assist with the removal and care of the animals, said two steers had died as a result of suffocation, which would "most likely" have been prevented with swifter action.

"You can't just leave animals like that – we need to minimise any suffering as best as possible."

While nothing could have been done to prevent the number of sheep deaths (more than 20), the cattle were left for too long in the upturned trailer, where they were struggling to breathe under the weight of others.

However, Downer roading contractor Dave Sutton, who was also at the scene, said his company was charged with mitigating the effects of such accidents on other road users.

"At the end of the day we've all got different issues," he said. "Our ultimate aim is to keep the road open ... traffic should take priority."

Mr Sutton said while he was aware of animal welfare issues, traffic flow was more important. With only one highway and very little option for diverting drivers, keeping vehicles moving was very important, he said.

"How would you feel if you were stuck in a line of traffic for an hour or more?"

While one-lane traffic was quickly enabled by dragging the trailer off the road, travellers were still disrupted for several hours.

Protocol for such incidents places importance on keeping the road open "after the prime focus of the protection of life and property is dealt with". However, whether this applies to animals as well as human life is open for debate.

Mr Walker has called for a meeting as a result of Thursday's incident so that police, ambulance, fire service and roading staff are all working towards the same goal in future incidents.

The stock truck accident happened just after 2pm south of the Oaro overbridge. Police say the north-bound Stocklines truck and trailer was coming downhill and had just negotiated a left-hand bend. The trailer unit, containing sheep and cattle, tipped on its side and came to rest across the road.

A number of livestock were killed or badly injured when they were removed from the vehicle, with more being euthanased at the scene by Mr Fleming.

The 26-year-old driver of the truck, his partner and her daughter who were travelling with him, all escaped without injury.

Emergency services were at the scene for more than three hours.

Constable Andy Grant, of Kaikoura police, said the truck was heading to Picton from Ashburton carrying more than 100 sheep and 26 cattle.

The cause of the accident would not be known until a full investigation had been carried out, he said.

Mr Grant said the public's patience was appreciated throughout the cleanup, and he also thanked the Kaikoura volunteer fire brigade and St John staff for their assistance.

- The Marlborough Express