A horse escape led to a man's death after the animal collided with the vehicle. It killed a male passenger in the car. The animal got loose from its trailer prior to the accident. It then crossed paths with a vehicle in Norco, California.
The incident happened on Sunday September 22 at 2:05 a.m. Authorities responded to the scene of a a "solo vehicle traffic collision with a horse." The crash happened on the northbound lanes of Interstate 15. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) / Riverside County Fire Department shared a Facebook post about the crash.
The driver experienced minor injuries. The horse ended up dying during the resulting wreck as well.
"Upon arrival, firefighters declared one victim and horse perished at the scene, and the other patient (the driver) was transported by ground ambulance with minor injuries," the message read.
Horse Strikes Car
So far, authorities declined to identify the deceased. However, California Highway Patrol spokesman Javier Navarro confirmed the deceased was a 25-year-old man. He had been in the front seat of a gray Honda Accord when the accident happened. The horse ended up going through the vehicle's windshield.
How did the horse get out? Well, the animal escaped after the vehicle towing its trailer struck a guardrail. From there, the animal escaped the trailer and attempted to cross the busy highway. The black Honda Accord clipped the fleeing animal causing the resulting crash.
"The horse was also a fatality, unfortunately," Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Maggie Cline De La Rosa told the Los Angeles Times. It all became a domino of crashes on the roadway from that point forward. Officials confirmed that a semi-tractor-trailer hit the empty horse carrier in another accident.
Authorities confirm that they are investigating the incident. At this time, there are still several questions regarding the case. For one, what caused the car to lose control and hit the guard rail? It's always sad when there's loss of life, whether human or animal. At this time, police aren't pursuing any criminal charges against the horse owner. We'll see what comes to light.
