[UPDATE 10:14 p.m.] Horse and Rider Hit by Vehicle; Horse Dead
Tonight, at approximately 8:13 p.m., a vehicle struck a horse and rider in Willow Creek near the corner of Patterson and Country Club at the bridge over the Trinity River.
According to the scanner, the horse died at the scene. An ambulance took the rider Mad River Hospital, Code 3.–lights and sirens.
One way traffic is still ongoing as of 9:15 p.m
UPDATE 10:14 p.m.: The CHP is now reporting this is a major injury accident.
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What an idiot!!! How sad!!How do you miss a horse??
I can only come up with two ways both probably impacted the situation, drug/alcohol and after sun down…. How sad, hopefully the rider pulls through!
Well, it was probably dark. We have no idea of the color of the horse or the clothes the rider was wearing. Just horrible all the way around.
I used to love riding at night with my other Horsey Neighbors, BUT we wore white and put reflectors on the breast and breech straps of our horses.
I am so very sorry this happened.
Technically, they didn’t miss it…
That idot was my brother, shut the fuck up.
I think the idiot Dantae was writing about was the driver of the car. At least I hope s/he was. If s/he was writing about the rider, then obviously s/he doesn’t know much about the rural nature of our area.
Was the rider Donnie?
I think it was Kenny.
He was the one I used to see riding.. How incredibly sad! I am sorry for the family..
well it was probably dark and they didn’t “miss” the horse
Maybe the horse didn’t have his lights on? Illegal left hand turn?
8:13pm it must have been pretty dark. Very tragic
That’s a rough corner/intersection often times people heading north are going to fast. Hope the rider is ok.
Did anybody bother to notice time of accident? Had to be dark at 8:13 pm. What is a horse doing on highway after dark ? Condolences to all involved
It’s not a highway… however I agree, not safe after dark, often can not see livestock in the road. Horse may have also spooked into trafic..can,’t always stop ’em from jumping a couple feet. Sad
What are peoples cars doing on the highway after dark?…. see how silly that sounds. It’s just as safe to ride a horse after dark as it is to get in a vehicle, you just have to make sure that you’re wearing reflective gear and that your horse is also wearing reflective gear so that people can actually see you. This is just a horrible situation, but there is no reason to think that people can’t ride their horses after dark on a roadway. And there’s no reason to think that drivers can’t be more aware of what they’re doing.
This is a crazy turn and people drive way to fast on Patterson. Every week I get trailgated and have to pull over.
So awful…my heart goes out to the rider….I couldn’t possibly fathom a car striking my horse and him gone in a instant, this family needs love and support…
People also walk this road every day and night. Slow down people
Rider hope your ok sorry for your friend
My brother was hit by a car while riding a horse 7-8 years ago. It was after 9pm. He was trying to get the horse home. He askd a friend to follow him with her car and headlights. Another driver was impatient, honking her horn, relentless. She finally speeds past the driver in the car who was helping my brother and hit the horse, my brother flew through the air over 30 feet, hitting his head first on the pavement, bouncing and hitting the back of his head. He spent a few weeks in the hospital. The horse died on the scene. Sad to say my brother was never the same. And due to the persons insurance he got nothing and no after care for brain trauma. Eventhough it is after dark, we live in an area that anything, anybody, any animal could be around any corner, people need to take a moment and not be in such a rush. This road rage thing is out of hand as well. I pray the person who is in the hospital heals completely, and the horse owner is given support even a hug and time spent. It is hard to lose animals too!
So true! It should never matter what time of the day or night! Drivers have to keep their eyes open and minds alert at all hours! Sad all the way around and especially for those who have been through it! Prayers to the rider and the horse! People need to slow down and stop making excuses! There was a bear in the road a half hour ago south of Hoopa at Tish Tang Camp ground! I hope he made it through the Bluff! Just slow down people and shut it up!
The rider tonight was my uncle and did not make it…hes been riding that road for over 30 years…if you have a negative comment my suggestion is dont…Just keep it to your self
I am so sorry, he always stopped to say hello whether in the neighborhood or in town.
I’m very sorry
So sorry for your loss. What a tradgety! Bless you your family.
So sorry for your loss. People really need to pay attention while driving through some of those areas at night. They also need to realize that up here, this isn’t city Living! It’s not uncommon to see someone riding a horse around alot of these areas! Again, I’m so sorry for your loss… The person that hit them, they did stop, right? Nothing has really been mentioned about the driver…
I am so sorry.
Om mani padme hum, like rats in a cage, humans are destroying themselves and other creatures at an insane rate, may the violence cease now 💛💐
Helmets should be required when riding a horse
Bullshit!
Brains should be required when driving cars, but that isn’t the case. This area where the accident happened is a dangerous turn, and most drivers take it way too fast.
This isn’t a serious comment is it? I mean come on! You can’t keep bubble wrapping EVERYTHING!!!
My daughter and I competed in Gymkana. We wore helmets. I have a video of my daughter’s helmet saving her life. Required helmets? I think not. Natural Selection will do the job. I hope sooner than later.
That is right by the pot farm in Willow Creek and people who don’t know the area don’t even slow down or drive in their own lane. It had to have been a larger vehicle going over the 35 mile speed limit to hit and kill a horse. We did come around a corner on that road and there were about 6 people walking on our side of the road in our lane with a car coming from the opposite direction and there is a big path on the other side so I yelled at them and told them they should be walking on the other side where there is room but I doubt that it did any good.
That’s Mike’s vegetable farm there by the bridge. Not everybody in Willow Creek grows pot, you know.
The road into big pot farm is right across from the vegetable farm and it is a very bad spot to pull out from. I have had numerous people only look 1 way when they pull out and if I had not been watching them I would have been hit.
Sometime animals get out. Sometimes it at night! Whatever the reason it a horrible accident. My condolences to the family, for the rider and for his horse. RIP
Praying for the rider. Poor horse,R.I.P.🕊
Has anyone heard anything about the driver of the vehicle that hit them? There hasn’t been any mention about him/her. Did he/she stop and stay put? Or did he/she take off? What is their story?
He did not make it.
Having been a rider of horses and a driver of cars equally long, I can tell you that horses are not always going to behave according to the rules of the road. Even when it seems that is what they are doing. Their judgement maybe that a rustle in the brush next to them means to move away immediately, even into the path of a vehicle.
I pass every horse on the side of the road as if they were going to take a giant leap in front of my truck. 99.99% of the time that is over compensation. But I know that such caution will keep a thousand pound animal from ending up coming through the windshield into my lap on the rare unfortunate coincidence when they do just that as I’m passing them by.
It seems we have yet another victim of what I call the “Cracker Jack DL Syndrome”!!! As in it seems that there is a CDL in every box or bag or WTH ever container they happen to be in, holds a CDL as the “Toy Surprise”Judging by all the VERY Preventable wrecks, I keep reading about here!!! My condolences to the family for the horse & especially the rider!!! Hopefully they found peace on the other side!!! RIP Horse & Rider!!! :-C
Condolences.
I ride horse at night. It is good to ride your horse day or night. It builds level of comfort for horse and rider. Before cars horses were rode day and night. This is a real tragedy for all of our community. The thing is; people drive the roads too fast. The people that drive fast on residential roads should loose there driving privilege, taken away. I know this person that got hit. It is a shame that people have to vent their stupidity without knowing the who’s or the why’s. Maybe you should attend the funeral and vent. Then you will feel the beat down you deserve by the loved one’s family that you have offended. Nobody is a perfect driver, people do make mistakes. You folks that come to our area need to respect the community that you are in and slow the vehicle down. This is a startling reminder that everybody needs to learn from. It don’t make no diff if it was a pedestrian or car or horse or cow. If the driver was paying attention this would not happen. It is law to slow down when you see a horse and rider and give the horse and rider the common courtesy that they deserve, the right of way! My heart goes out to your family, the riders family. I can only hope this will be a wake-up call for those driving a cage!
I saw the skidmark on the bridge. It is way too long to have been made going the speed limit. People hit animals on our roads here all the time. It comes mostly from not paying attention and looking ahead
. Now someone has hit an animal and a rider. This is getting pathetic around here. Pay attention everybody!
flags at half staff.