Officers respond to loose pigs along I-10 near Chiriaco Summit

(FOX 11) - Two Riverside County Animal Services officers assisted a California Highway Patrol officer after a morning incident on Tuesday that resulted in loose pigs in the center median on the I-10 in Chiriaco Summit.

A man towing a trailer with large pigs told the officers his trailer started to swerve as he was traveling west on Interstate 10. The motorist tried to slow down and that compounded the problem, ultimately resulting in his abrupt stop partially in the No. 1 lane and the center median area.

The incident happened at about 6:30 a.m. approximately one mile west of the Chiriaco Summit, located roughly 40 miles east of Indio.

According to the CHP, after the trailer came to a stop, the pigs somehow managed to push their way out of a back gate and started to roam. But none of the eight pigs ended up as a group into oncoming traffic. Also, none of the pigs were injured.

The responding CHP officer said that a truck driver specializing in transporting livestock, stopped to assist the stranded driver and his traveling companion. The situation was not a chaotic one. In fact, after a while, the pigs huddled up in their makeshift corral and some even fell asleep.

Lt. Oliver White and Officer Justin Mays responded for Riverside County Animal Services from the Blythe Animal Shelter. Both officers are experienced with livestock and were able to load up the pigs into a county trailer without much trouble. The pigs were transported to the Blythe Animal Shelter and then back to the owner, not too far from the county shelter.