Over the weekend, a farmer in the Renceni area lost almost half of his sheep in an accident on a local highway.
The cattle got on the road by accident, the owner says, while the residents of the area express their condemnation of the slow reaction of the BMW driver.
Livestock farmer Oskars lives in Rencēni area, and there are 58 sheep in his herd. Not far from the Valmiera-Rūjiena highway, the owner had set up lush pastures for livestock. The ground, full of clover and other greenery that the sheep go to their hearts, was fenced with an electric shepherd. A housewife from a nearby house says that the fences are damaged every week by wild animals that run through them arbitrarily.
“He has rented land, the perimeter has been repaired, everything is in order. But at night – now the roaring time for red deer has begun… They are running, they have aura time, they do not understand such a small wire, ”says the neighbor.
On Saturday night, the animals belonging to the Oscars had noticed that they had escaped from the paddock. Under the guise of darkness, the regiment managed to get to the bus stop “Ķelles”, and part of the beasts gather in a herd on the freshly paved highway.
“Either a beast was scared, they had gathered on the road. As far as I understand, the owners had already arrived, turned on the lighthouse, ”says the local resident.
Oscar, together with his assistants, tried to contain the unconscious livestock and warn the drivers about their presence on the road. There was no time to put on a reflective vest, because every second was from the weight.
“I ran in front of those sheep and signaled towards the riders, because everything was put on the back by Rūjiena. There were two cars with emergency lights on, I knew the back was safe and I ran ahead with a flashlight and shone, I ran in the middle of the highway, but well, nothing. I had to run away myself, ”says Oskars, the owner of the herd.
Oscar had to flee because a BMW vehicle was crashing into the way, and the driver did not notice the dangerous situation on the road. The owner of the herd jumped into the ditch and escaped the shooting, but his livestock could not escape. One by one the sheep were shot and died on the spot.
“It simply came to our notice then. The view was terrible, the sheep were scattered along the way, some lay there half-finished, others completely in parts, ”says the local resident.
The BMW driver was not under the influence of alcohol and remained at the scene to meet the police. Twenty sheep were killed on the road, but two more were killed on Monday due to serious injuries. Oscar does not blame anyone for what happened and does not get angry at the young guy who did not notice the cattle.
“It simply came to his notice then. I did not want to comment on why this was the case. I don’t know simply. We did everything this guy was worried about from behind, or I’m not run over, or all right. I have done what I could, I have talked to the sheep, the rest, nothing, ”says the owner of the herd.
Some, however, allow the possibility that the driver had significantly exceeded his speed, as the herd on the road would most likely be noticed at night as well.
The locals wonder why the driver didn’t brake when he got the first blow, but it still looks like Oscar will be responsible for the incident, because it was his responsibility to keep the animals on the road. The police have initiated administrative proceedings about the incident and explain the circumstances of the incident.
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