Car Passenger Dies When Loose Horse Crashes Through Windshield: Reports

On Sunday, September 22, at approximately 2:05 a.m. local time, firefighters were called to the scene of a “solo vehicle traffic collision with a horse” on the northbound lanes of Interstate 15, according to a Facebook post from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) / Riverside County Fire Department.

The Horse Allegedly Crashed Through The Car’s Windshield

“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 says, reported by People.

Local outlet The San Bernardino Sun reported that California Highway Patrol spokesman Javier Navarro stated the victim was a 25-year-old man seated in the front of a gray Honda Accord when the horse allegedly crashed through the car’s windshield.

The horse reportedly broke free after the vehicle towing its trailer hit a guardrail. According to The San Bernardino Sun, the horse escaped from the trailer and reached the median before attempting to cross the freeway. A black Honda Accord subsequently “clipped” the animal, causing it to crash through the windshield of the victim’s car.

In a report by the Los Angeles Times, “The horse was also a fatality, unfortunately,” Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Maggie Cline De La Rosa said.

Investigation Underway Following Series of Accidents 

According to the Associated Press, the trailer crash triggered a chain reaction of accidents on the highway, including one involving a semi tractor-trailer that collided with the empty horse trailer.

Navarro and the CAL FIRE / Riverside County Fire Department did not respond immediately when contacted by PEOPLE. The identity of the victim has not yet been released.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the individual taken to the hospital with “minor injuries” was the 27-year-old male driver of the Honda Accord.

Navarro informed the outlet that no arrests had been made and that the cause of the vehicle towing the horse trailer veering off the road is still under investigation.

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