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DURHAM – A horse died early Monday when a vehicle hit it after Durham County sheriff’s deputies responded three times to reports that the animal was running loose.
The driver suffered injuries that were described as not life-threatening.
Deputy Paul Sherwin, public information officer for Sheriff Mike Andrews, said deputies responded the first time to Guess Road at St. Albans Court at 1:47 a.m. after getting a call of a horse in the road. They found the horse, but as soon as they got close to it, it became spooked and ran north on Guess Road until it finally ducked into the woods near Cardens Creek Drive. Deputies were unable to locate it, Sherwin said.
At 3:34 a.m., deputies got another call of a horse in the roadway near Milton Road and Madden Avenue. When deputies arrived, they were unable to find it.
Then at 4:06 a.m., deputies responded to Milton Road and Ridgeview Road after receiving a call that a vehicle had collided with a black horse. The driver was transported to Durham Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the horse died on the scene, Sherwin said.
The Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department was called and removed the horse.
Sherwin said the driver’s identity was unavailable Monday, and deputies don’t know who owned the horse.
The N.C. Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, but the investigating trooper could not be reached Monday.
