PETA billboard is 'tribute' to chickens killed in truck crash — so they 'won’t have died in vain\

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals placed a billboard near the site of a June truck crash in Delaware to "pay tribute to the chickens who were killed or grievously injured," the organization announced in a Wednesday news release.

The billboard — located in Middletown — shows a chicken’s face next to the words “I’m ME, Not MEAT. See the Individual. Go Vegan.” It will stay up for four weeks in the hopes of convincing passers-by that "we can all prevent animals’ suffering and death by choosing vegan foods," PETA said.

“If this message of compassion inspires just one driver to go vegan, the chickens who were killed won’t have died in vain,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement. “PETA’s billboard pays tribute to their brief lives and encourages motorists to help prevent future suffering by keeping chickens and all other animals off their plates.”

Reiman said in another statement that "the best way to prevent these tragedies is to keep smart, sensitive chickens off the road in the first place by going vegan," WDEL-FM said.

A truck carrying the chickens overturned June 6, resulting in wooden crates and chickens spilling out into the roadway, KYW-TV reported.

It wasn't clear if any humans were injured as a result of the crash, not that such petty details matter to PETA.

One chicken survived the crash — but only for a day

A chicken named June survived the crash but died the next day.

Liberation Philadelphia — a grassroots animal rights and advocacy group — said June suffered a deep chest cut and a fractured keel bone, resulting in a massive infection that turned to sepsis due to pavement debris lining June's chest cavity, WDEL-FM said, citing a news release.

The group added that June's injuries would have been given a better prognosis had the chicken received veterinary care immediately following the accident, the station noted.

"We’re deeply saddened by the loss of June, an innocent animal who was left to die alongside a busy highway by Perdue Farms," Maria Kelly of Liberation Philadelphia said in statement, WDEL reported. "It's disgusting that Perdue Farms continues to profit off the misery of chickens like June, who are just as capable of suffering as our dogs and cats."

The group held a candlelight vigil for June the next day:

Here's clip of the truck crash aftermath: