Loose bison that crossed New York highway shot and killed

COEYMANS, N.Y. -- The escape of a small herd of bison from a farm in upstate New York ended badly Friday, with the animals being fatally shot after crossing the New York State Thruway.

Authorities say the 15 bison were killed because they became a danger after crossing the highway.

Three men hired by the farm were cleared to open fire in a stream in woods in the town of Coeymans, about 10 miles south Albany.

Police say the decision was made after experts agreed tranquilizers would not be effective, and no portable corrals could hold the animals.

Authorities say they escaped Thursday from a farm across the Hudson River in the Rensselaer County town of Schodack. The owner believes they swam across the river to the town of Bethlehem, where they wandered across a busy stretch of Interstate 87 and into neighboring Coeymans.

Authorities had been warning that the loose animals were dangerous, and drivers slowed to avoid them.