We've all seen animals in the roadway, maybe even hit a deer. But get this: two serious crashes, within just a few hours, caused by loose cattle in the road.

11 News got a call from the frightened fiancée of one of the drivers. He slammed into a cow east of Colorado Springs along Highway 24 between Calhan and Ramah.

Investigators and CDOT were out there Thursday night specifically looking for loose cattle.

Kelly McKinney says her boyfriend could easily have been killed.

“Out of nowhere he saw a black mark in the road, he didn’t realize what it was until it lifted its head and he realized it was a cow,” McKinney said.

She says her boyfriend Scott was driving east on Highway 24. The cow was in the middle of the road and he had no time to stop. The crash was so severe he had to be airlifted to the hospital. McKinney says this is a dangerous stretch and something has to be done.

"I want to know why there is cattle being allowed to roam free?” McKinney said.

The roadside check Thursday night didn’t turn up any broken fencing along the highway.

State Patrol is looking into the incident. They say a brand inspector was on scene to help determine where the cows came from.

As for Scott, Kelly says he has head trauma but should be okay.