Yet another car accident

[picolenicole]

I work for Derbyshire highways, with close conections to the police. Yesterday I answer the police emergency phone, to be asked if I could sen ou sub-contractor out to a location in Heath, Derbyshire.

I have to ask what it is that has happen, well I wish I'd never answered the phone (theres 3 of us in the office) Police wanted us to sort out the clear up of blood and body tissue from the highway, a car had hit a horse and rider. She then said the horse will still be here as it is dead!!

All day all I could think was, poor horse, poor rider, poor owner. I didn't even know if the riader was..... alive.

Well after giving my pony a really big hug, and telling my OH the story I looked on FB just to see what all my friends have been up to. One of them had put that they were starting a petition as her friends horse got killed by a speeding car!!! Turns out is was the same hosre and rider that the police rang about, my poor friend had to go and untack her friends dead horse and help both rider and her sister back to yard, by leading the second horse.

I can not even begin to think how they all must of felt, the inpact ripped the roof of the car. Rider is ok as in scratches and bruises, but I'm sure she's not doing well with loosing her horse.

I don't know the rider from Adam, but if she comes on here and reads this, then I am really sorry for your loss, and couldn't stop think about the accident. I hope you and your sister, recove well and loads of ((((hugs))))

 

[irish_only]

How Awful. Can't imagine what everyone will be going through.
Can you put a link to the facebook page?

 

[Fazzie]

How terrible RIP

 

[picolenicole]

It was on my FB page so can only see it if a friend, there is the link to her petiton though...http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/countrylanespeedreduction/

 

[Cadfael&Coffee]

Oh how horrible I can't imagine how horrid that must be for them

 

[ebonyallen]

That is a horrid thing to have happened I can not even begin to think what those poor people are going through, it brought tears to my eyes just reading this let alone having to deal with it. My heart goes out to them all .

 

[picolenicole]

ebonyallen I was like that when I took the call from the police, then it makes it more "real" when your friend say's yeah I had to go and untack the horse on site and help with sorting things out. Sort of makes you think who would you ring if it was you? What would you do? and all the other questions, that comes to mind.

 

[hannahmurphy]

Horrible.

Just another reason why there should be a campaign on tele; Think Horse.

People have less and less common sense towards horses now. Even 'country' folk have no clue and come flying past with ignorance written all over their faces. Every time I ride out now I have to give signals to slow down or stop.

Poor horse & rider.

 

[benson21]

memories.....
I wish the rider well. It is devastating what you have been through. My heart goes out to you.

 

[nicolenlolly]

The Think:Horse campaign would be brilliant but wonder how it could be done? Really it needs someone with a high profile you know how hugh did that fish fight, we need our horse plight taken on. I was out hacking with my 4 year old little girl on her pony (daddy on the lead rope) and this audi came speeding past. It was a straight road so he must have seen us, it was 2pm so not dark. Well luckily a car pulled out from the side road on our right so he had to slow down and the abuse I screamed at him through his open window. To be fair he apologised but how can these people lack the common sense to just slow down and not treat the countryside like a racetrack? My sympathies to the poor poor girl who was involved in the accident, I really hope that this petition will help. ((((hugs))))

 

[Dancing Queen]

increase the driving age!!!!

place speed restrictors on cars to be driven by newly qualified drivers for 2 years

get martin clunes on board.

severely punish the drivers - crush their car and ban from driving for at least 5 years and custodial sentence, then take a new test to qualify for licence again.

reimburse the victim.

Im am so sorry for the rider and the horse and their friends and family. The driver needs to be dealt with severely.

 

[picolenicole]

Oh sorry benson I didn't think just wanted to let poeple in the area know, and let everyone know about the petition. (Hope I have upset you, with bringin it all back up)

 

[Pearlsasinger]

The Think:Horse campaign would be brilliant but wonder how it could be done? Really it needs someone with a high profile you know how hugh did that fish fight, we need our horse plight taken on.

Perhaps this is an area where Katie Price could make herself useful. Some people who know nothing about horses do take notice of what she is doing/saying.

OP
that must have been the most horrible experience for all concerned. My thoughts are especially with the rider, her sister and the friend who went to help.

It must have been a very disturbing task for the sub-contractors and police involved, as well.

 

[SVMel]

What a terrible terrible incident. My heart goes out to all involved, rip lovely equine friend, hugs to all xxxxxxxx

 

[Janah]

Get Martin Clunes on side! And Jeremy Clarkson, apparently his wife and children ride. The two of them should cover most bases>

 

[Old Bat]

I was just thinking Martin Clunes as well!

 

[nicolenlolly]

Maybe I am a geek but this really is something that I care about. I found the email address for buckham fair which is the show that Martin Clunes holds at his house. It is this weekend for anyone who lives down that way! I just sent an email to the email address, it says it goes to his wife and we all know she rides. Really it is only to be used if you want to exhibit but hey it was worth a shot. if anyone else wants to send an email and hope that we get somewhere it is buckhamfair@me.com ... I really hope that this works. I dont know if Katie Price would bother, I suppose we could try?!

 

[ScarlettLady]

How awful! A friend of mine's horse was hit afew wks ago, thankfully only fairly minor damage compared to what could have been... But I did hear that the driver tried to blame the horse as it had spooked and so was in the middle of the road as he came round the corner!!

People have less and less common sense towards horses now. Even 'country' folk have no clue and come flying past with ignorance written all over their faces. Every time I ride out now I have to give signals to slow down or stop.

Hmmm I try doing that and just get ignored, most people probably don't even understand hand signals now!

Another friend has one of these : http://www.google.com/imgres?q=poli...43&tbnw=124&start=0&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

and i'm definitely going to be investing in one, she says it has a brilliant effect!!

 

[skint1]

People like Zara Philips, (or any member of the Royal family really) Katie Price, Jodie Kidd, Martin Clunes, Noel Edmunds, Leona Lewis are all celebs that are horsey and who could help create publicity and have impact in this area.

I am very sorry for the girl who has lost her horse, so sad and avoidable.

 

[Nocturnal]

How awful . My heart goes out to her... everyone's worst nightmare when riding on the roads.

Not long ago I narrowly escaped an accident when an oncoming van made contact with my horse. Thankfully my horse was unharmed, but could have been a different story. The van driver's explanation as to why he didn't slow down was that he 'thought that slowing down suddenly would scare the horse more' (than carrying on towards us at 45mph!!!). Some drivers out there really are clueless.

 

[Kenzo]

So sorry to hear this, I can't begin to imadgine how the poor owner and her friends who dealt with it all can ever get over anything like that.

 

[Victoria25]

RIP little horse

The amount of times I scream/rant (understatement) at drivers sometimes ... not quite the lady I try to be absolute idiots

 

[OWLIE185]

I am very sorry to hear about this accident and my deepest sympathies go to the owner/rider of the horse.

The British Horse Society represents horse riders throughout Great Britain and do a lot of work in educating road users about how to approach and pass horses on the road. However, being a charity they could do a lot more work if additional funding was available. Please join the BHS as your annual subscription will assist them in doing more good work.

Please always wear long sleeved Hi-Viz jackets and kit your horse out with Hi-Viz when riding out so that you and your hand signals can be seen more clearly by other road users.

 

[Bright_Spark]

How horrible

My thoughts to all those involved.

I often wonder if drivers would slow down if they knew what damage a horse could do to their precious cars

BTW, not being insensitive or flippant, just musing.

 

[YorksG]

Sympathy to all involved, especially to the sister of the rider whose horse was killed. I have no doubt that the horses were 'family' horses and to see your sister and horse in that situation must be awful. Hope that all survivors recover well and quickly.

 

[unbalanced]

Last winter two teenage girls were heading out from our yard. They were both wearing fluorescent tabards and were riding two abreast as the BHS recommends. A car came past in the opposite direction and as it passed the pony on the inside shied and bucked pushing the other pony into the moving car. Luckily the car was travelling at a reasonably slow speed and the pony was just bruised. The girls are sensible so although they were very shaken they sensibly got off their ponies and came straight back into the yard. I stopped the driver (I was just parking my car outside the yard where it happened) and asked her to come in so we could discuss what had happened. She was actually angry with the kids because there was a dent in her shiny new car! She started telling us that she was going to make them pay for it and they shouldn't have been on the road - well it was lucky no one had been hurt! The poor girls were only 14 and their parents weren't there and one of their ponies had just been hit by a car (only bruised, but that's still very upsetting) and then to be told you're going to be sued for damages...

I have one of these:

Sympathies to OP's friend.

 

[picolenicole]

Thank you to all that have left message's, wishing rider and my friend well, I will show her this thread and get her to show the rider. I think it's brill how so many people that don't even know each other can show compassion to someone in time of need. I just hope they don't feel as a lone, as they prob are at the minute.

 

[Hairy Old Cob]

Sypathy to all concerned Martin Clunes Think Horse?

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

petition signed. RIP little horse and I really hope your friend is ok xx

 

[devilwoman]

So distressing to read things like this, massive sympathy to all involved RIP pony x