Certain Songs

The cattle were on a trip from Texas to Pennsylvania, police said, when a 20-year-old Westerville man's poor merge sent the cattle trailer skidding, popping open the rear door and setting free two animals.

Jack Millman had tried to merge into the center lane of I-71 at I-270 around 8:45 p.m., setting into motion the hours-long cow hunt. Participants included Columbus police with shotguns, a New Albany cattleman and an Ohio State University team with tranquilizer darts.

Millman said he swerved to avoid another car and lost control of his 1999 Dodge Stratus. His car spun around, facing oncoming traffic including the cattle trailer.

"I thought I was dead," Millman said.

The trucker swerved into the high-speed lane to avoid Millman but collided with the front passenger side of his car.

"He didn't skid and tip, he tipped and skidded," said Darah Huffer of Westerville. Huffer, her husband, Randall, and son Hayden were driving in the right lane when the accident happened.

Within 30 minutes, one escaped cow, suffering from a gouged eye, threatened to charge police officers. Witnesses said police fired about eight shots to kill it.

The second cow headed north and into Westerville, police said. It was captured and tranquilized.

Columbus police and the State Highway Patrol responded and quickly knew they needed help.

They called the Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio State, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Franklin County Animal Rescue.

"Right now, we can probably use all the resources we can gather," a police officer said on the radio.

Columbus police Lt. LuEllen Kuykendoll said the trucker suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

Police did not release the trucker's name last night.

I-71 north of I-270 was closed for hours last night, as was southbound I-71 because of gawking drivers. A second trailer arrived to transport the cows to their destination.

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Foo Fighers - 'For All The Cows' MP3