Another RTA involving rider

[miller]

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Woman-and-child-dead-after.3434969.jp

Just heard it on the Radio on the way to work - apparently rider was a 9yo girl who is poorly in hospital and the horse/pony died in the incident.

Believe (but may have heard wrong) that one of the people killed was the little girls mum

Only about 8 miles from me

Huge condolences to all involved

Edited to add the driver was 18yo and I believe it said arrested but driver and passenger uninjured

 

[Patches]

Very tragic, but surely it was dark at 6pm anyway?

 

[Weezy]

Bit more info here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/7072504.stm

 

[kerilli]

they were trick-or-treating? in the dark, with a pony, on the road? jeezus christ, just how effing stupid are some people?
i'm sorry, i feel desperately sad that this happened, and my heart goes out to the survivors, but how bloody bloody stupid. poor pony. poor child and woman who died.
btw, i live about 5 miles from where it happened, and it was PITCH DARK at 6pm last night.

 

[severnmiles]

But surely Leverington Common means they were off road anyway?

 

[kerilli]

no, that's the name of the village.

they were on the B1169, which is the main road through the village, and is used as a cut-through by a lot of people i think.

 

[TGM]

Weezy's link said they were on the B1169 - so presumably on a road that runs through the common.

 

[BB2008]

It is absolutely shocking and heart goes out to the families - but agree with the above 'trick or treating' with a pony in the dark certainly isn't wise - however hind sight is a wonderful thing! Also looks like dangerous driving involved. It is absolutely tragic!

 

[miller]

The road is the main village road and would have lots of traffic on (for a village) at that time of night.

Really sad but agree it seems a silly idea

 

[kerilli]

if someone lived in a cul-de-sac, then maybe trick-or-treating around there with a pony, with helpers lighting you up like a christmas tree, might be feasible. but to be out that late on roads (and it was getting quite dark by 5.15 last night, i know cos i was feeding my horses) is just total lunacy. whoever made the decision, some poor people and that poor pony paid for it with their lives. i just hope it was quick.

 

[miller]

It was pitch black when I left work in Peterborough at 6pm

 

[severnmiles]

But what I mean is were they actually on the road? Does anyone know the village? I can't think that the driver would be arrested for dangerous driving if the people and ponies were walking in the dark on a main road

 

[miller]

I know the village, there is a footpath through the village.

I'm not saying the driver was not at fault, just that it was possibly not the most sensible idea in the dark - though I'm sure they now realise that

It is a road where people tend to speed I'm afraid and there's nothing to say i the outcome would have been different if the pony wasn't with them

 

[kerilli]

i know the village. if they were on the B road, which is what it says in the article, then unless they were lit up like christmas trees, they were hugely at risk. even if the driver was young and driving recklessly, fact is the last thing you expect to find in the pitch dark on a main road (and that is the main road there) is a couple of adults walking with a kid in a pushchair and a kid on a pony.
it beggars belief. i feel very sorry for the lad who hit them too.

 

[kerrylou123]

aww, how awful!

 

[jumpthemoon]

That's just tragic. I just don't understand people who take horses out in the dark

I feel really sorry for the families involved, and for the youth driving the car. I really just don't get it though - why do people not realise it's bloody dangerous on the roads in the dark?????

 

[Wishful]

Taking out the issue of riding a pony in the dark for a moment, and you'd just had mum and pushchair, perhaps walking along that road from the bus stop to their house, after she'd picked the child up from daycare, or with her weekly shop rather than for trick and treating. Would it be as shocking that she was walking along that road at that time - not really IMHO.

Also, trick or treaters are generally lit up like christmas trees - certainly all the kids I saw out with their parents were very visible (especially a skeleton outfit, which was glow in the dark!). It being halloween, you'd expect more kids out and about after dark, and drive accordingly. Some of the older lot (student types obviously going to halloween themed parties/club nights) were all in black, but were again pretty visible.

 

[kerilli]

yes, but you can get a child, a pushchair, and yourself onto the verge very quickly if you have to, i'd hope. a pony doesn't necessarily move as fast as you want, in the right direction.

 

[Dogbetty141]

Does anyone actually know that they were not waering any lights before they come to all these conclusions! Its perfectley fine riding on the roads as long as you are lit up like a chritmas tree!

 

[M_G]

Very tragic accident...... But it was pitch black here at 5.30 last night (I am about 5 miles from there) surely common sense would say not to ride on the road in the dark

 

[miller]

I don't know any further details - as I said earlier - the accident could well have happened without the pony involved and, knowing how some young lads drive past our village house in a 30mph limit with a blind bend past the drivewayI can honestly say it wasn't necessarily the groups fault.

However, I personally feel it was silly riding a pony along with a pushchair in the dark regardless of if they were lit up. What would have happened if the pony had spooked at something in the darkness and landed in the pushchair.

As we have all said - it was a tragic accident and my heart goes out to all involved/injured . I'm sure they didn't think of the risk before they went out. May well have been something they've done on numerous years, who knows. Just a desperately sad accident

 

[kerilli]

re: Its perfectley fine riding on the roads as long as you are lit up like a chritmas tree!

no, i don't think it is. drivers at night rely on headlights to tell them there's something coming. on straight stretches it's safer, but through bends, if drivers take the racing line because they see no headlights, they could be on top of you before you or they know it. just because you can hear them approaching, it's very easy to forget that they can't hear you, or see you until they've come around the corner...

 

[charlie76]

Very sad but a bit of a silly thing to do. I looked at a house for sale there last week and the road was pretty busy.

 

[miller]

Report on front pages of todays Evening Telegraph says they were riding on a part of the road with no footpath, unlit and between a 40mph and 50 moh limit change.

The road has a large (approx 20m wide) drainage ditch down one side (no fencing) but didn't state which side of the road they were on.

 

[Dogbetty141]

well thats a really silly thing to do! Poor horsey and child! Not so sympathetic to the resposible adult! I know thats a bit heartless but that is plain stupid! I would not ride like that!

 

[miller]

Here's the article on Peterborough Today .... http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Woman-child-and-horse-killed.3435889.jp

 

[Baggybreeches]

I read this in NL and thought the same as you, but tbh thought I would be pilloried for saying that!
Sad that people and pony have lost lives, but at the end of the day it amounts to begging and the pony was just a 'gimmick' to aid donations!

 

[Chex]

[ QUOTE ]
Report on front pages of todays Evening Telegraph says they were riding on a part of the road with no footpath, unlit and between a 40mph and 50 moh limit change.

The road has a large (approx 20m wide) drainage ditch down one side (no fencing) but didn't state which side of the road they were on.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just walking along that road would be dangerous, never mind pushing a buggy AND with a pony! What a shame for all involved

 

[miller]

Must admit (now I've looked at the map!

) we looked at a house on this road and one reason we discounted it before actual viewing was because hacking was 'dangerous'. Personally I wouldn't ride on that road (my horse is spooky) in the daylight

 

[happyhack]

[ QUOTE ]
they were trick-or-treating? in the dark, with a pony, on the road? jeezus christ, just how effing stupid are some people?
i'm sorry, i feel desperately sad that this happened, and my heart goes out to the survivors, but how bloody bloody stupid. poor pony. poor child and woman who died.
btw, i live about 5 miles from where it happened, and it was PITCH DARK at 6pm last night.

[/ QUOTE ]

I understand your point, does anyone know if they had hi-iz on?