Driver dies in predawn crash that left 5 dead cows strewn across Florida road, cops say

A 27-year-old man driving on a rural highway in the dark was killed when he collided with a wall of cattle in the road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Five cows also died in the crash, officials said.

It happened just before 5 a.m. on Monday, March 20, north of Immokalee, troopers said in a news release. Immokalee is about 115 miles northwest of Miami.

The driver, who lives in LaBelle, was traveling north in a Ford Mustang when “five cows wandered onto the travel lanes of State Road 29,” officials said.

The Mustang struck “several” of the cows, then collided with the front of a Dodge pickup headed in the opposite direction, officials said.

“It remains under investigation if (the pickup) also initially collided with a cow,” the highway patrol said.

The driver of the Mustang died at the scene and the 50-year-old driver of the pickup suffered minor injuries, officials said.

“All five cows were also pronounced deceased,” troopers said.

Identities of the drivers have not been released. The man driving the pickup is from Immokalee, officials said.

Both drivers were wearing their seat belts, officials said.

State Road 29 is a two-lane rural highway that cuts through farm land and ranches in southern Hendry County.

This story was originally published March 21, 2023 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Driver dies in predawn crash that left 5 dead cows strewn across Florida road, cops say."