Calves killed on Highway 30

No one was seriously injured when four vehicles crashed into Thomas Angus Ranch registered bull calves that bolted from a weaning pen along Highway 30 between Imnaha Road and Chico Lane Friday night.

Rob Thomas said today that about 75 calves escaped after they knocked down a gate and bolted out of a corral about a quarter of a mile off the highway on Thomas Angus Ranch property.

Sixteen calves were killed.

About 450 calves had been weaned at the corrals on Friday, Thomas said.

Ranch employees were still working at the site when the bull calves made their escape. One employee had just gone through the cattle, which were bawling loudly, and had just returned to the shop shortly before the calves got out.

The fall-born calves each weighed between 500 and 600 pounds, he said. Thomas said he is working with insurance adjusters and declined to release the value of the animals.

He expressed appreciation to the community for help in rounding up the cattle and was thankful that no one was seriously injured.

Deputy Travis Ash of the Baker County Sheriff’s Office said the calves were strung out from D & B on Pocahontas Road, to Wingville Road. That area is considered open range, which means the calf owners are not liable for damage to vehicles, Ash said.

After the first calf was hit, other vehicles stopped to help the crash victims.

“There were 10 to 15 cars with their hazard lights on pulled over,” Ash said.

The first calf was hit about 7 p.m. at Imnaha Road by a 2008 Ford pickup truck driven by Leroy Phillips, 76, of 16711 Pole Line Road, Ash said.

Eugene Robertson, 83, and Joyce Robertson, 82, of 2880 First St., suffered back and neck injuries and Eugene’s hand was cut when the air bags deployed in their 1996 Ford pickup truck after it struck 12 calves, Ash said.

Raymond Scott, 46, of 13880 Red Fox Lane, struck one calf with his 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe near Chico Lane. Jodi Hess, 42, of 69249 Telocaset Lane, also hit one calf with her 2005 Dodge Ram pickup truck. Neither of them was injured.

Highway 30 was closed between Pocahontas and Wingville roads from about 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Ash said. Oregon State Police, Baker  City Police, the Oregon Department of Transportation and local ranchers helped with the cleanup.

“All of our neighbors were helping us,” Thomas said. “When there’s a problem the neighbors all come out to help. That really shows the cooperation of an ag community.

“I’d just like to thank all the community members for helping us out,” he added. “And we’re thankful there were no injuries.”