A livestock trailer overturned Monday morning in Schuyler County after a sedan failed to yield at an intersection, causing a major crash and road closure.
It happened around 9:45 a.m. at the intersection of State Route 79 and State Route 227 in the Town of Hector, according to the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators say a four-door sedan driven by Lan Tian, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, was heading east on Route 79 when it allegedly failed to yield at a stop sign. A truck hauling cattle for Seneca Valley Dairy Farms LLC was traveling westbound and tried to avoid the collision, but ended up rolling over off the side of the road.
The truck came to rest on its roof, with one occupant refusing treatment and the driver trapped inside. Emergency crews used heavy equipment to extricate the driver, who was then airlifted by LifeNet to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania.
The trailer was carrying around 10 head of cattle. No visible injuries to the animals were reported, and they were taken to a holding pen for observation.
Multiple fire departments and EMS agencies responded, along with Schuyler County Emergency Management and a heavy wrecker service. Route 227 was closed for about three and a half hours during the recovery operation.
Lan Tian was issued citations for failure to yield after a stop sign and leaving the scene of an accident.
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