Truck crashes, spilling up to 1000 chickens onto Victorian road
WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: A truck carrying up to 1000 chickens has toppled over near Geelong, spilling the birds onto a busy road, with many reportedly dead or dying.
Emergency services were called to the Princes Highway at North Geelong about 10.15am on Monday, after the Geelong-bound truck lost control and rolled on its side.
"A large number" of chickens spilled over the road as a result of the crash, police confirmed.
Witness David Pobjoy described the scene as "distressing", estimating up to 1000 chickens lying dead or dying around the truck.
"Some were pecking at the ground, a lot of them were dead and a lot of them were still in cages. It was pretty gruesome for the poor chickens," he told The Age.
The truck driver, a 58-year-old Drysdale man, has been taken to Geelong University Hospital in a stable condition, with an arm injury.
Traffic has been diverted, and the north-bound lanes of Princes Highway/Melbourne Road will be closed for several hours while the chickens are cleared.
Motorists are advised to seek an alternative route via Thompson Road, and avoid Separation Street.
Police and emergency services are currently on scene.
