Young Lunenburg Man Dead Following Collision With Bull

Large bulls and cows roamed inside secure fencing at Manny's Dairy Farm in Lancaster Thursday.

But State Police say a bull and three cows escaped Wednesday and, about 11:15 p.m., the bull was struck by a Mitsubishi sedan in the left northbound lane of I-190, between exits 6 and 7, instantly killing the driver, 22-year-old Steven Hamilton of Lunenburg.  The bull was euthanized.

The 3 cows were herded back to the farm.

Investigators said the animals got past two fences.  "There is a dairy fence that is electrically charged and then there is a commercial real estate fence that protects high tension wires," explained Lt. James Canty.

State Police said they believe National Grid owns the fence that protects the power lines but has damage that appears to be weeks old.  "On Sept. 28, in the exact same location we also responded to cows in the roadway and we were able to herd them up and get them back up on the property that day," said Lt. Canty.

The farm owner, Manuel Moreira, is vacationing in Portugal but farm keepers who herded the 3 escaped cows talked with investigators.

"We were only left with the story that somehow the power failed to that electric fence," said Lt. Canty.

A daughter of the farm's owner, Susan Chavez, said she does not know how the bull and three cows escaped.  "This is a terrible thing and the only thing I'm thinking about is the loss of that family," she said at the front door of her parents' home.

"This investigation is in its infancy. As far as going down the road of criminal negligence, negligent homicide, any of those things this could possibly fall under, we're not even close to that yet," said Lt. Canty.

State Police said they hope to talk to the farm owner within the next few days so they can give Steven Hamilton's family some answers.

Investigators said Lancaster Police have responded to numerous calls in recent years for escaped livestock in that area where there are two other farms that keep livestock.