A truck hauling live turkeys for Butterball overturned near Seven Springs, North Carolina on January 14, causing the spillage of more than 700 birds.
According to a report from WFMY News, the truck was driven by Larry Beddingfield, owner of Beddingfield and Son Trucking, which was doing contract transportation work for Butterball. The accident occurred around 5:15 p.m.
Some of the turkeys died as a result of the accident, although most of the turkeys remained near the truck. The wreck prompted authorities to close the road. It was several hours before the road was re-opened.
Beddingfield was cited for driving at an unsafe speed.
The wreck occurred just four days after a similar incident when a tractor-trailer hauling live turkeys overturned near Greensboro, North Carolina.
Butterball, headquartered in Garner, North Carolina, is the largest turkey processor in the United States. According to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, Butterball slaughtered an estimated 1.38 billion pounds of live turkeys in 2016. The company has four slaughter plants and seven processing plants.
