Man seriously injured after incident at Corio abattoir

The boss of a Corio abattoir where a man was trampled by cows says it will conduct an investigation into the frightening accident, with a WorkSafe probe also likely.

A worker was trampled by a herd of cows at M.C. Herd in Corio on Sunday.

A man trampled by cows in Corio was a contract cattle truck driver who was delivering the herd to an abattoir, it can be revealed, as an investigation is launched into the frightening incident.

The man, in his 20s, was inside his truck parked at M.C. Herd on Bacchus Marsh Rd when the accident occurred at about 2pm on Sunday.

It’s understood he was crushed by the cows and seriously injured before being rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

M.C. Herd general manager Angelo Lauricella said on Monday the driver was “doing okay” and confirmed the company was investigating the cause of the scare.

“Our thoughts are with him,” he said.

“From what I understand, he is doing much better today.”

Mr Lauricella said the exact circumstances around the incident remain unclear.

“It’s a very unfortunate... and we will conduct our investigation,” Mr Lauricella said.

“Health and safety is a top priority for us and we will work with WorkSafe and the contractor company to review what actually has happened.”

Mr Lauricella said the business had been cleared by WorkSafe to continue its operations as normal.

The work safety watchdog is likely to launch it’s own probe.

“It’s in the very early stages of its investigation and we will cooperate with the relevant authorities,” he said.

“Our main priority is making sure the driver and his family are doing well.”

M.C. Herd on Bacchus Marsh Rd in Corio.

A WorkSafe spokesman said inspectors would determine if further action or an investigation was required.

In a seperate matter, in 2020 a woman and her granddaughter were hospitalised after a freak cattle stampede at a Freshwater Creek property.

The woman’s husband and a neighbour rammed the cows with a ute to save the pair after seeing her thrown into the air.

“I was here looking down that laneway and I saw my wife about seven feet in the air cartwheeling across the sky. The cow had thrown her,” her husband told reporters afterwards.

“Even when my wife was unconscious, they were still attacking her.”

The woman, in her 70s, and the primary school-aged girl were both flown to hospital in Melbourne with multiple injuries.

Originally published as Man seriously injured after incident at Corio abattoir