One animal was killed and three others injured -- but it appears those lucky survivors have a new lease on life, as the truck was headed to a slaughterhouse.
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The collision happened around 4:30 a.m, and video from NewsCopter 7 showed an extensive crash scene.
The truck, towing a trailer carrying cattle, sheep, and goats, rear-ended a tanker hauling dry cement on the inbound upper level.
The driver of the livestock truck was transported to Staten Island University Hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening, but it took hours to separate the vehicles and haul them away with heavy-duty tow trucks.
Authorities say one sheep died in the crash, while a calf and two sheep were treated at Animal Care Centers of NYC and released to the Skylands Sanctuary, an animal sanctuary.
The other animals, 12 lambs, 2 goats, and 3 calves, were uninjured and picked up by another truck to complete their trip to the slaughterhouse.
During the four-hour cleanup, traffic on the Staten Island Expressway was a complete standstill for the morning commute.
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The traffic spilled back onto local roads, causing widespread delays to MTA express buses and buses on access roads.
School buses transporting students to local schools also reported delays due to heavy traffic.
The Brooklyn bound upper level lanes were finally reopened at around 8:30 a.m.
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