MANSON, WA Nov 5, 2007 — A cow fell about 200 feet off a cliff Sunday and landed on the hood of a minivan passing by Rocky Point about one mile east of Manson, officials said.
Charles Everson, Jr. and his wife Linda escaped injury.
"It was just 'bam'— you just saw something come down and hit the hood," Charles Everson said this morning from his hotel room in Manson.
He and his wife are in the area from Westland, Mich., near Detroit, to celebrate their one-year anniversary, he said. They were on Highway 150 headed back to their hotel after attending a church service.
Everson, 49, said he didn't actually see the animal until it hit — and didn't realize what had happened until after the impact.
"I'm like, 'I don't believe this. I don't believe this. I don't believe this,' " Everson said, adding he repeated the phrase "about 20 times."
The incident happened about 12:20 p.m.
Arnold Baker, Chelan County Fire District 5 chief, said the cow was a heifer he estimated to weigh about 600 pounds.
"It's funny because it was such a close call," Baker said. "Inches different and the couple in this car would have been killed."
The cow, about year old, belonged to a breeder in the area who had earlier reported the animal missing, Baker said. The animal was euthanized at the scene.
The Eversons continued on about a mile after the collision before pulling over, and were taken to Lake Chelan Community Hospital as a precaution. The van suffered heavy damage, including a broken windshield from the force of the animal hitting the hood, Baker said.
Jaime Adame: 509 664-7144 Wenatchee World
adame@wenworld.com