Troopers Respond to Crash Involving Cattle on Turnpike in Lewiston

On Monday, December 16, 2024, at approximately 11:30 AM, Troopers responded to a single vehicle crash at Exit 79 on the Turnpike in Lewiston involving a pickup truck hauling a cattle trailer. The driver was traveling southbound when the incident occurred. The initial investigation indicates that the rear doors of the cattle hauler were not properly secured, causing them to unlatch. As a result, the cattle inside the trailer shifted, leading to three animals falling from the back of the trailer onto the roadway and one cow running out of the vehicle once the trailer had stopped. One cow landed in the passing lane and suffered a broken leg, while two others sustained road rash and were located on the shoulder of the road. The fourth cow ran out of the trailer and into the woods nearby. Troopers secured one of the cows by tying it to the back of his cruiser, using a buddy system to help calm the other animals and prevent further movement. Traffic was impacted, with one lane temporarily shut down as the driver, 39-year-old Dustin Bubar of Stetson, Maine worked to reload the animals into the trailer. Bubar was cited for Unsecured Load on a Vehicle. Animal Control Officers from the Lewiston Police Department assisted on scene, along with passersby who stopped to help. Unfortunately, two of the injured cows are expected to be dispatched (euthanized) due to the severity of their injuries. The crash remains under investigation.