Wayward cow causes Mass. vehicle crash, MCI

Eleven people were taken to hospitals after a vehicle struck a dairy cow on Route 116 in Sunderland and then collided with a second vehicle

May 15, 2026 06:05 AM

By Jeanette DeForge
masslive.com

SUNDERLAND, Mass. — A total of 11 people were injured after a vehicle struck a wayward dairy cow standing in the roadway at 2 a.m. Thursday.

The 11, who were traveling in two vehicles, were brought to several local hospitals by ambulances for treatment of injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

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The cow died in the crash, said Melissa Sippel, spokeswoman for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.

A vehicle heading north on Route 116 first struck the cow near 716 Amherst Road. After the initial crash, it collided with a second vehicle heading southbound, she said.

The crash remains under investigation by Sunderland police and several Massachusetts State Police divisions, including its collision and reconstruction section, crime scene services and the detective unit assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, she said.

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