At about 6 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, a semi trailer travelling westbound on Hwy. 53 east of Ponoka, approaching Hwy. 821 overturned, dumping its load of over 7,000 chickens.
The driver, likely a contractor hauling the chickens to market, was taken to hospital but Dale Morrow, fire chief of the East District Fire Department, says he believes he was released a few hours later.
“It sounds like he’s okay,” said Morrow.
The tractor cab caught fire and the trailer landed on its side. Some chickens perished in the crash but none were harmed by the fire.
The chickens that did get loose stayed close by and were rounded up.
At 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Hwy. 53 remained closed in both directions at Range Road 242.
Morrow estimated the fire department might be called out within the next hour to hose down the road before the road will open up to traffic again.
