SWANTON — As if motorist didn’t already have enough to worry about, add fleeing cows to the list.

That’s the word from the California Highway Patrol after a spate of collisions between cattle and cars on Highway 1.

A steer, hit by a car Monday night near the Waddell Creek bridge, was the fifth bovine crash victim in the area since Saturday. The animal, part of a bunch that escaped from a North Coast ranch, is missing and presumed dead. Another that refused to leave the roadway Monday night was euthanized by owners "in the interest of public safety," a spokeswoman said.

Four others from the herd died when they were struck in separate accidents during the weekend.

Humans involved in the crashes suffered only minor injuries.

"Expect the unexpected," said CHP Officer David Reed. "Pay attention while you drive. (A cow in the road) is no different than a stopped car or a child with a ball, or in that part of the county, a surfer walking across the street. You’d be expected to see it and stop safely without crashing."

Hitting a cow standing in the road is not like striking a deer that darts out in front of a car, Reed said. Drivers are expected to be traveling at a safe enough speed to avoid colliding with stationary or slow-moving objects or animals.

The cattle involved in the collisions are part of a herd that arrived Saturday at Swanton Pacific Ranch, north of Davenport. About a dozen cattle escaped late Saturday afternoon during unloading.

The 3,200-acre ranch is owned by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and is run by permanent staff with the help of students and supervising faculty.

Monday afternoon, a university spokeswoman said all the escaped cattle were back in custody by Sunday morning, except for the four steers who died in the wrecks and another that broke its leg and was euthanized.

But spokeswoman Teresa Hendrix confirmed Tuesday that the steers from Monday’s incidents were also from the herd. As of late Tuesday afternoon, ranch staff still had not found the injured animal, though all other cattle are now accounted for, she said.