Ottawa

Wayward cows stop traffic on 401 after escaping from farm

Ontario Provincial Police say they were kept busy managing traffic on a section of Highway 401 Monday after approximately 20 cows escaped from a farm and ended up on the side of the road.

Cows in ditch cause traffic delays for motorists

About 20 cows feeding in a ditch along Highway 401 near Kingston caused traffic delays for drivers heading home over the long weekend, the OPP said. ( Leslie A. Rowse)

Ontario Provincial Police say they were kept busy managing traffic on a section of Highway 401 Monday after approximately 20 cows escaped from a farm and ended up on the side of the road. 

Police were called to the eastbound lanes of the highway just west of Gardiner's Road near Kingston at around 10:40 a.m. to respond to calls about the cows standing in the ditch.

The cows were unhurt as they hung out in the ditch chewing grass, according to OPP Const. Roop Sandhu.

Officers stopped traffic for about one hour while the owner removed the cows from the ditch and returned them to the farm. 

2 other crashes

Shortly after, police were called to the 401 near Joyceville Road after a pickup truck hauling a camper trailer jackknifed on its side. The collision blocked the eastbound lanes until it was removed. 

About two hours later, police dealt with a third crash on the highway, when the hood of an SUV traveling near Perth Road blew open and smashed the driver's windshield — causing the driver to hit the north-side guardrail. 

Police said there were no major injuries in any of the three incidents.