Footage shows frightened cow causing traffic chaos after escaping onto major motorway

This is the moment an escaped COW caused traffic chaos after wandering onto a major motorway - forcing drivers to swerve around it.<br /><br />The young Friesian cow was spotted trotting into the path of oncoming vehicles on the busy M55, between Preston and Kirkham, Lancs.<br /><br />A car passenger who filmed the frightened farm animal can be heard letting out a series of worried shrieks as it erratically moved between different lanes.<br /><br />Emergency services later shut down the motorway’s eastbound carriageway on Thursday (Aug 10), as they tried to capture the animal - leading to two hours delays.<br /><br />A farmer who claimed to own the cow apologised on Facebook and said it had only escaped due to vandals destroying his fencing.<br /><br />He said: “Sorry for any inconvenience as they were my cows but the cows shouldn't of been on the field w[h]ere they were.<br /><br />“I'd put wooden rails across the access to public footpath incase cattle happened to get into that field and only checked recently.<br /><br />“But on checking after getting [the] cattle back, they had all been smashed off and thrown into [a] field.<br /><br />He added: “I'd just like to thank police and others that helped and thankfully no one hurt and no property damaged.”<br /><br />Residents who saw the video of the cow dicing with death on the motorway joked about the incident on social media.<br /><br />One wrote: “Udderly ridiculous that a cow should be allowed to get on the motorway. It's playing a high steaks game of life and death! <br /><br />“Highways agency at fault here.. I have no beef with the farmer.”<br /><br />Another added: “Cars need to MOOOVE OVER.”