More than 3 dozen calves killed, others on the loose, after B.C. highway crash

More than threedozen calves were killed on Fridayaftera cattle linerslid off the roadaround 60 kilometres west of Prince George.

Local ranchers saved about 70 calves from the wreckage while dozensmore calveshad to be recovered over the course of several days.

Three are still missing, according to Mike Pritchard, yard manager with B.C. Livestock, a rancher-owned co-op with a location in Vanderhoofwhere the 130 calves were soldjust hours before the crash.

Pritchard says it's one of the worst livestock fatality incidents he's ever seen on B.C. roads.

Cattle liner landed in ditch

RCMP say they received reports of a crash on Highway 16 near East Bay Roadbetween Prince George and Vanderhoofjust after 2 p.m. Friday.

The driver lost control of the eastbound cattle liner, whichspun 180 degrees before endingup on its side in thewestbound ditch.

Pritchard says B.C. Livestock and volunteers rescued 71 calves from the wreckage.

"It took a couple of hours cutting through the superstructure of the liner, making passageways for the live ones to get out," he said.

The teamcombed the highway over the weekend,recoveringdozens of lost calves.

Pritchard says the driver of the cattle liner was "distraught,"but unharmed. RCMP confirm the driver suffered minor injuries and did not require medical attention.

All hands on deck to bring the calves home

On Monday, Pritchard and a team of local ranchers were still out looking for the remaining calves that scattered along the highway following the crash, some as far as fivekilometres away.

He says local ranching families and the Prince George Stockmen's Association were essential, providingtrailers to transport the injured and tracking those that went missing.

Pritchard says it's fortunatethe crash occurred so close to a community equipped to deal with it. Rescue efforts in moreremoteparts of the provincewould have proven more difficult, he says.

"Other cattlemen's associations throughout the province are working towards a response-type role in these kinds of things,"he said.