PETA Sign Will 'Honor' Cows That Died After Detroit Semi Crash

DETROIT — People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals is planning to place a billboard on I-94 in Detroit, near the site where a semi carrying 38 cows overturned, injuring 18 cows to the point where they needed to be euthanized.

The billboard, which shows a cow with text that reads, "I'm ME, Not MEAT. See the Individual. Go Vegan.", is meant to honor the 18 cows, which PETA said were shot due to the extend of their injuries.

“Witnesses saw these cows lie on the roadside in pain and terror for over 10 hours before they were finally shot in the head,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said. “PETA’s ad encourages anyone disturbed by the thought of these animals’ prolonged, horrific deaths—or by the thought of their sisters’ fate under the slaughterhouse knife—to go vegan.”

The semi rolled over around 3 p.m. on Monday, according to the Michigan State Police. It was carrying 38 cows when the driver lost control of the vehicle, police said. According to PETA, the truck was transporting Holstein cows, the breed of cow used most often in the dairy industry.

A secondary livestock trailer was called to the scene to transport the surviving cows.