A giraffe being transported in an open-air truck bed on a freeway in South Africa was killed Thursday after reportedly hitting its head on an overpass.

“All we can ascertain at this stage is severe head trauma. We are continuing our investigation with the view to possibly lay criminal charges against those responsible,” Rick Allan of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told Johannesburg’s Eye Witness News.

The giraffe’s owner confirmed that the giraffe had died to a local reporter.

Several eyewitnesses said they saw two giraffes traveling on Pretoria’s N1 highway, with many posting photos to Instagram and Twitter after one hit its head on the overpass.

One Instagram user, Pabi Moloi, told several news outlets she was driving with her cousin when she saw the two giraffes. As she took out her phone to take some photos, the truck went under a bridge and one of the giraffes hit its head hard on the concrete.

Moloi said they saw in their rear view mirror that the truck had moved to the side of the road and had stopped. Only one giraffe was standing.

Apparently, the truck involved in the accident didn’t comply with specifications set by the South African Bureau of Standards and that it ignored transportation codes for the animals. When transporting giraffes on an open road, their heads should be covered with a structure.