Horse killed in crash after escaping on to main Exeter-Newton Abbot road
Police are warning farmers, land owners and walkers to check gates are locked after a horse escaped and died in a crash on a major Devon road, writes Jon Bayley.
The tragedy began after motorists reported five horses walking on the A380 around Ideford at 8.50pm on Monday.
At 8.54pm one of the horses collided with a grey Peugeot 307 being driven by woman from Paignton.
The horse was killed in the crash on the Torquay-bound carriageway. In a lucky escape the female driver of the car suffered only minor injuries.
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Police closed both lanes of the carriageway around Ideford and at the Ashcombe junction at 9am. Motorists and a local farmer came to the rescue and helped round-up the other four horses.
Two Exeter-based fire crews, from Danes Castle and Middlemoor, made the car safe. The dead horse was taken away by the farmer, who police say was not responsible for the horses, and the road was reopened at 11.15pm.
The crash is one of many examples of horses, and farmland animals, escaping and running onto public roads, say police.
PC Ryan Canning in Plymouth said: "Hedges and vegetation are less dense during the winter months, which means horses and sheep find it easier to escape. The incident on the A380 last night was very sad but could have been far, far worse."
"We would like to appeal to horse and sheep owners and footpath walkers, for the safety of the animals and the public, to ensure gates and padlocks are secure and fencing is well maintained," he added.
On February 14 police were called after four horses were reported running toward the Tesco supermarket in Roborough, Plymouth.
It was the third sighting of horses which escaped in Plymouth during that week.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall police said: "We are investigating how the horses came to escape and run onto the A380."
7 Comments
by KLLE9
Friday, March 01 2013, 1:26PM
“Has no one thought to consider the trauma of actually hitting a horse, and how this has affected the driver and passengers? Sure, it's horrible a horse has died, but that's not the driver's fault and focus should well and truly be on their welfare, and to ensure they are able to recover from an accident such as this. To 'escape' with minor injuries says nothing of the mental trauma of experiencing a crash like this. There would have been nothing that the driver could have done to escape colliding with the animal, and if you think you would have been able to do so I would suggest you take up a career in rally driving, you would win some medals. In my opinion, the driver should be commended for her actions which minimised the damage caused, as many other people would not have escaped at all. Why don't we think of the humans, for once?”
by Debris
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 2:50PM
“I am confused by this story.
Horses were first reported on the road at 8.50pm on Monday.
A horse was struck and killed at 8.54pm
The road was closed at 9am - (Really? in the morning?)
The road was reopend at 11.15pm”
by omnivore23
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 2:11PM
“What do you mean UQUIP?
There are loads of posts by you, and some very, very, similar ones by MrHunt on here......
.......and lots and lots and lots of stuff about gypsies.
So tell us, which issues are being "disappeared" or not reported on?
I am awaiting my "amazement"..........”
by nicold
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 11:28AM
“"On February 14 police were called after four horses were reported running toward the Tesco supermarket in Roborough, Plymouth."
I would have thought they were running AWAY from Tesco!”
by uquip
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 11:13AM
“You will be amazed what doesn't get reported in these local newspapers. If a story or a political party are not one the editor supports then it doesn't exist. If a post on these forum boards does not tow the party line then it disappears. And you thought the disappeared only happened in Chile, not so, we have the disappeared here too as well. What a cosy democracy.”
by TorbayOAP
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 10:54AM
“Mike you need to get down off your high horse, it's the drivers fault there's a warning sign with a deer on it on that road, I agree with mom RIP Horsey and lets hope it doesn't end up in the food chain.”
by Mom55
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 10:36AM
“Mike I think that is a bit of a strange comment to make considering there is nothing in this article that states the horses belong to gypsies and as far as I am aware there are no gypsies currently living around the stated areas where the horses have escaped, are there??? It might not even be the case that farmers are forgetting to close the gates, it could be horses are escaping from different parts of the field or strangers are opening gates. There was a time not so long ago when strangers were opening gates at night to let sheep out onto the road for no reason whatsoever, just idiots thinking it's funny. Nevertheless it is the land and horse owners responsibility to make sure the horses are safely kept and I am sure that because of this incident farmers will be double checking their gates and LOCKS tonight - let's hope! RIP Horsey xx”