Tractor crash goes afowl when chickens escape from overturned trailer

At least these chickens finally got to cross the road.

Several dozen birds were accidentally set loose in Delaware early Wednesday morning when a tractor-trailer carrying them crashed into another truck around 3:45 a.m., according to Delaware State Police.

Neither driver was injured, but one of the trailers turned over, releasing the cooped-up birds onto state Route 1 in Smyrna, about 13 miles northwest of Dover, WMDT reported.

An aerial shot of the scene captured by NBC Philadelphia showed several of the birds clustered by the side of the road, pecking at the grass.

Their brief escape ruffled several feathers, including those of southbound drivers who found the route blocked for about five hours into the morning commute, according to CBS’s Philadelphia affiliate.

Authorities quickly hatched a plan to round up the chickens, though it was unclear if there were any avian casualties. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

This story was originally published October 12, 2016 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Tractor crash goes afowl when chickens escape from overturned trailer."