Sheep happens: Two killed in bridge crash

A livestock truck smash-up on the Verrazzano Bridge Thursday created a nightmare for rush-hour commuters — and sparked a call for new legislation on how slaughterhouse animals are treated after crashes.

An assemblage of 21 sheep, calves, lambs and goats were in the back of a tractor-trailer on their way to Brooklyn when their rig rear-ended a cement truck on the bridge’s upper level about 4:15 a.m., officials said.

One sheep died on the scene, while two more sheep and a calf were injured and taken to the N.J.-based Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue. One of the rescued sheep died of its injuries.

The truck hauling the livestock suffered extensive damage, forcing the container to remain on the bridge for hours until a new truck could be brought in to haul it to the slaughterhouse.

Firefighters and MTA Bridge and Tunnel officers provided oxygen and water to the cooped-up animals as they waited for a replacement vehicle, officials said. Witnesses said some of the animals ended up escaping the container and had to be corralled as the crash was investigated.

In an ironic twist, the two lambs, two goats and three calves healthy enough to walk onto the new truck were taken to complete their journey to the slaughterhouse, outraging animal advocates.

Mike Stura, the president of the Wantage-based sanctuary, said when he arrived on the scene, only the injured animals remained.

“We were only able to get three. When I got there, there were only four animals, and one had passed away from the accident,” he said. “I took two sheep and a calf . ... The one sheep, even though we tried to stabilize him, passed away.”

The surviving sheep and calf are “doing OK,” Stura