NEW MILFORD – Back in the early morning hours of May 19, a 10-year-old bay gelding named Rocky escaped from his barn and was struck by a car on Route 109. Rocky did not immediately die in the accident, but eventually did after thrashing around on the road for some time.

Kate Thurlow, 21, of New Milford lost a friend that morning and still has a little trouble understanding why her horse was left to suffer on the road while a New Milford police officer as on the scene. The following letter is in response to the tragedy:

 

To whom it may concern:

On May 19 in New Milford, my thoroughbred Rocky was hit on Route 109 at 3 am after an electrical storm. He had been spooked and got out of my barn along with his pasture buddy, my Dutch warmblood/thoroughbred mare, and made their way to Route 109 where a driver going 50 mph in a 30 mph zone on wet pavement hit Rocky.

Rocky wasn’t killed instantly by his injuries; but he had broken his left front leg at the knee and only his tendons held it on. An officer from the New Milford Police Department was called to the scene and sat in his car while my horse thrashed around bleeding to death trying to stand on his remaining three legs.

The reason I’m writing and relating this horrible accident is because I want people who own horses or just love them to know that if something like this happens state and local police don’t have any protocol regarding motor vehicle accidents involving horses or large livestock. Although there is no way for me to bring Rocky back, I don’t want his death to be in vain and I don’t want any other horse owner to have to go through this horrible time that I have.

I’m not asking for a miracle from local or state police. I’m simply saying that considering the fact that the state of Connecticut has such a large population of horses in boarding and breeding facilities as well as backyard barns, and that accidents do happen, when they do the police should be equipped to handle it.

It could be as easy as having the officer at the scene call the HQ and say that a horse or other large animal is involved and they have a list of veterinarians in the area who will be sent to the scene to assess the situation. If the horse has injuries that are fatal the vet will make the decision to humanely euthanize the animal.

All horse owners should know that if a horse gets out and gets hit that there is no protocol and they might find themselves in the same situation that I’m in. Not only did I lose a horse, I lost a best friend and now I have to spend the rest of my life knowing that his last minutes alive were spend in pain trying to get to his feet.

If anyone wishes to contact me, they can email me at spunsugaree@aol.com.

 

Thank you.

Katharine Thurlow