Rider Injured, Horse Killed After Being Struck By Car Near Ellensburg
A horseback rider has serious injuries after her horse was struck by a passing vehicle in Kittitas County on Tuesday afternoon.
The Washington State Patrol says it happened at around 5:40 p.m. on State Route 10 about five miles west of Ellensburg when a station wagon driven by 59-year-old Sarika A. Criswell of Ronald hit the horse and its rider, 54-year-old Rachel I. Boyd of Langley.
Boyd suffered serious injuries in the accident and was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, while Criswell was uninjured.
A report from the State Patrol indicates Criswell struck the horse when it suddenly stepped into the roadway.
Troopers say intoxicants were not a factor in the incident, and the horse sustained serious injuries and had to be euthanized at the scene.
Horses at the Apple Blossom Festival
Gallery Credit: Terra Sokol