Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: He was thrown from an 18-wheeler on the other side.
The crash occurred just east of the Navasota River, around 1:25 p.m. on Thursday when a Sanderson Farms 18-wheeler loaded with live chickens was westbound on Hwy 30 in Grimes County.
The truck started down a hill and disaster struck. An earth mover was turning left into the Brazos Landfill construction project and the 18-wheeler slammed into the rear of the earth mover, trapping the truck driver inside and scattering chickens all over the road. None of the chickens were wearing safety belts.
DPS and the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office closed the highway for a short time while the truck was unloaded. PHI Air Medical was dispatched to the scene, but in the end, the patient was transported by ground ambulance a hospital in College Station. No count of chicken casualties was provided, but they were few, according to law enforcement.
Heavy duty wreckers responded, along with representatives from Sanderson Farms. Workers had to catch the loose chickens and load them into cages on another truck.
DPS is investigating why the unlicensed earth mover was operating on a public roadway.
The incident was one of the first major accidents since DPS Sgt. Joey Evans took over that district.