A tractor-trailer hauling three sea lions to the Missouri State Fair veered off westbound Interstate 70 and slammed into a concrete median barrier near Columbia just after 3 a.m. Thursday, sending one passenger to the hospital and forcing the traveling show to cancel its opening-day performances in Sedalia. The rig was carrying four people and three sea lions when it crashed at Mile Marker 133 in Boone County.
According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report cited by KMMO, the 2015 Peterbilt semi drove off the left side of the roadway for reasons that remain unknown and struck the barrier while traveling west on I-70. As reported by the Kansas City Star, the sea lions were rescued from the crashed trailer and one person sustained moderate injuries and was taken to a Columbia hospital.
Per a Missouri Highway Patrol report relayed by CDLLife, the 59-year-old male driver, who is from Ohio, was uninjured, while a 27-year-old female passenger from Texas suffered the moderate injuries and was transported to University Hospital in Columbia. Licensed veterinarians evaluated the sea lions immediately after the crash, and the Missouri State Fair shared that the animals were confirmed to be in excellent health at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center.
Show Canceled for Opening Day, But Sea Lion Splash Has More Dates in Sedalia
The sea lions had been scheduled to perform three times Thursday at the Missouri State Fair, but those shows were canceled following the crash. Sea Lion Splash, which travels to fairs and attractions around the country, had all 10 days of shows canceled.
Sea Lion Splash travels to fairs and attractions around the country, according to the Observer.
Federal Rules Govern How Sea Lions Travel on the Road
Traveling marine mammal exhibitors like Sea Lion Splash operate under federal Animal Welfare Act regulations enforced by the USDA.
The company has faced federal scrutiny over its transport and exhibition practices before. In April 2021, USDA Animal Care inspectors cited Sea Lion Splash LLC for six Animal Welfare Act violations, including housing sea lions in a travel trailer pool that lacked the required minimum surface area and administering expired medication for an eye infection, per Roadside Zoo News. The company's transport and exhibition practices have also drawn scrutiny.
Another Serious Crash on a Dangerous Stretch of I-70
Thursday's wreck involved a commercial truck on I-70. A head-on collision involving a tractor-trailer on I-70 resulted in two fatalities, according to 93.9 The Eagle.
According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, rural I-70 in Missouri accounts for approximately 3,500 crashes per year. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission reports that approximately 56,000 vehicles travel on I-70 daily, 25 percent of which are commercial vehicles.
The Missouri State Fair has live animal programming, including the raptor demonstrations described by the Missouri Department of Conservation. All 10 days of Sea Lion Splash shows were canceled.
