This Tuesday morning a heavy goods vehicle carrying 160 pigs intended for the slaughterhouse collapsed on the A26 motorway, near Bouranton, after the driver lost control of the vehicle. Although the driver escaped unhurt, about a quarter of the pigs died in the accident.
The problem: evacuate the animals that are still alive and raise the truck quickly to avoid stopping traffic on the highway.
Also read: A truck with nearly 200 pigs on board lies down on the A26
Finally, for safety reasons, the Aube prefecture took the decision to close the highway from 1:30 p.m. in both directions from the Chaumont and Thennelières tolls, to relieve the truck.
Highway reopened to traffic late in the afternoon
According to Autoroute info, at 5 p.m. the A26 was reopened to traffic. It had been kept closed to prevent pigs from escaping when the truck was lifted and running onto the highway.
Firefighters arrived around midday as reinforcements to remove the animals from the damaged heavy goods vehicle and breeders from the area were expected to lend a hand. Around a hundred animals were still in the truck, including around thirty dead.
Another truck chartered by the company which initially transported them was due to pick up the surviving animals around 2 p.m.
