Fire chief: Too dangerous for public to rescue piglets

XENIA, OH (FOX19 NOW) - Residents are being warned not to try to rescue hundreds of piglets that remain on the loose after 2,200 of them spilled onto U.S. 35 in Greene County earlier this week.

Stopping your vehicle to help capture these piglets is too dangerous, said Xenia Fire Chief Dean Fox.

"Drive by them. Let them be," he said. "It's such a bad corner that you can stop by there and cause another traffic hazard."

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will set traps Wednesday for the remainder of the pigs.

"If you do happen to get a pig and take possession of it, nobody wants them right now. The sheriff's department or nobody wants them at this point in time," Fox said.

Plus, it's illegal to raise wild animals in city limits, he pointed out. Even farmers are reluctant to take the pigs, he added, because it is uncertain if the animals are healthy.

"We are just not sure how many of the animals may still be on the loose," said Greene County Deputy Jason Tavner. "Once we got them all corralled, it was almost impossible to count them all at that point."

In all, 1,500 piglets who survived were either rescued from the vehicle or captured after scampering into nearby woods. At least another 400 died.

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The piglets were taken to the Greene County Fairgrounds where a veterinarian attended to those requiring medical care. The animals also were given food and water.

Neighboring farmers helped to transport the animals to the fairgrounds

The piglets were riding in a truck traveling from South Carolina to Indiana when the crash occurred Monday night, prompting several agencies to respond.

The animals were picked up from the fairgrounds by 5 a.m. Tuesday and taken to their final destination in Indiana to be raised for slaughter.

The driver of the semi was unhurt, but his fiance and passenger suffered a minor injury and was taken to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Tavner said.

The driver was cited for failure to control and was speeding about 70 mph in a 50 mph zone. His name was not released.

U.S 35 was shut down for about eight hours before reopening around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

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