Rogue steer runs down man after crash
A MAN run down by a rogue steer which escaped an overturned truck at the top of the Toowoomba Range is recovering from surgery in hospital.
Seeta Sharma, 69, had been walking towards his son Pawan Sharma’s shop at the Range Shopping Centre when the Bdouble cattle truck toppled over at the intersection of James and Cohoe Sts shortly before 5pm Monday.
Mr Sharma said his father was walking on Tourist Rd when the steer charged at him, striking his right side and knocking him to the ground.
The frightening encounter left the elder Mr Sharma with a broken leg in two places.
He underwent surgery yesterday and had a metal pin inserted in his leg,
“He tried to hide himself but you can’t do anything when a 400kg bull is racing at you,” the younger Mr Sharma, who owns the Range News and Casket Agency, said.
Within minutes of his father calling him at 5.09pm, Mr Sharma said several of his customers who he recognised were offering help before paramedics got on scene.
“There’s a lot of small children and families walking at that time,” he said.
“It was very dangerous. “He (his father) is lucky he was not killed in the incident.”
Toowoomba police Officerin-Charge Senior Sergeant Tony Neumann said investigations were continuing into the rollover.
Confirming the truck was carting about 60 head of cattle, Snr Sergeant Neumann said a number had escaped the area before emergency services arrived on scene about 5pm.
“We know that one made it as far as High Street and at this stage of our enquiries there may be two cattle still unaccounted for,” he said.
“We ask for people who may see those cattle to contact Policelink on 131 444 or if they’re presenting a serious safety risk contact 000 immediately.”
He thanked the collaborative efforts of all emergency and service providers who worked until 1am yesterday clearing the scene and herding surviving cattle into another truck.
Several cattle injured were humanely destroyed at the scene in collaboration with the RSPCA, Biosecurity and Toowoomba Regional Council animal welfare officers, and a vet.