Monday night’s commute took an unexpected turn when a Highland cow named Marigold decided to take a solo stroll down I-270 South near Hilliard. All lanes past Tuttle Crossing Boulevard were closed for roughly two hours as emergency crews scrambled to corral the adventurous bovine.
Marigold, en route from a farm in Raymond, Ohio, to her new home in West Virginia, somehow opened her trailer door and stepped straight onto the interstate.
Her owner, Samantha Gay, described the scene as chaotic and surreal. “Thankfully, she didn’t go into traffic,” she told 10TV. “My first thought was she’s going to injure herself and someone else.”
A full emergency response descended on the area, including fire trucks, EMS crews, and mounted police.
The daring cow tested their patience, darting across grassy embankments and refusing to cooperate.
After more than two hours, a member of the mounted unit lassoed Marigold and guided her back safely into her trailer.
No humans or cows were harmed, and Marigold is now settling into her new farm in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where she’ll live out her life as a breeding cow. Gay expressed relief that the ordeal ended safely and gratitude toward the quick-acting first responders.
For commuters stuck in the unexpected bovine bottleneck, it was certainly a Monday night to remember.
