Virginia 151 in northern Nelson County near Afton was closed for more than an hour Wednesday after a tractor-trailer carrying more than 800 turkeys overturned on the rural highway.
The tractor-trailer, which belongs to Circle S Ranch of Monroe, N.C., southeast of Charlotte, N.C., overturned after hitting a patch of ice on the road, said Nelson County’s emergency services coordinator, Ray Uttaro.
“Route 151 has been covered with black ice pretty much all morning,” Uttaro said.
The accident occurred about 10 a.m. between Bland Wade and Pounding Branch roads.
The truck driver was northbound en route to Harrisonburg. He declined comment afterward. No injuries were reported.
Slightly more than half of the turkey cages fell off of the flatbed of the tractor-trailer when it overturned, but most of the white-feathered, 30-pound birds stayed near their cages and huddled together for warmth.
An hour and a half into the cleanup, a wrecker crew from Stoney Creek Auto in Nellysford had righted the truck and cleared one lane.
Uttaro said most of the turkeys were unharmed in the accident, but some were killed.
Firefighters from the Rockfish Valley Volunteer Fire Department assisted Virginia State Police with traffic management and with the cleanup.
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