Advertisement

Escaped cow tramples man to death in town centre

Huw Evans - Dyfed Powys Police/Athena Pictures
Huw Evans - Dyfed Powys Police/Athena Pictures

A “dangerously out of control” cow which escaped from a livestock auction house “attacked and trampled” a man to death in a town centre.

The animal managed to walk out from Whitland Mart, Carmarthenshire on Saturday, Nov 19, and injured the man in nearby North Road, Dyfed-Powys Police said.

The cow then strayed onto railway lines, forcing train operators to suspend services, and the animal eventually had to be put down because it was so frantic, according to WalesOnline.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: “The cow came across an elderly man in North Road where it attacked and trampled him, causing serious injury.

“The cow then went on the rail track in the area and trains had to be put on stop to mitigate the danger to them.

“Eventually it made its way to a field where every effort was made to safely contain it in consultation with the owner.

“Unfortunately all attempts failed and, due to the danger posed by the animal, it was humanely dispatched with the consent of the owner.”

The man was taken by air ambulance to Wales’s biggest hospital, the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff.

But despite the best efforts of medical staff, he died on Nov 25.

The police spokesman said: “Dyfed-Powys Police, together with the Health and Safety Executive, are investigating the circumstances surrounding an incident where a cow that had escaped from Whitland Mart injured an elderly man in North Road, Whitland, at around 10.15am on Saturday, November 19.”

The man was on Wednesday named as Huw Evans, 75.

In a tribute issued through police, his family said: “Huw was a loved dad, dadcu, brother, uncle and friend to many.

“We would like to thank the community for their support and well wishes while Huw was in hospital and since his passing, we now know how much he will be missed.”

The family asked to be left to grieve in private.