Runaway horse and carriage wreaks havoc
Later in this newscast we will air a story about the observance of World Health Day, which for the first time is focussing on traffic accidents as a major health problem. Of course, it’s just a coincidence, but tonight we open our coverage with a road mishap… although this particular type of fender bender does not happen everyday. News 5’s Brent Toombs happened to be near the scene when the call came in just before ten this morning.
Brent Toombs, Reporting
What was supposed to be a leisurely ride around the city on a horse-drawn cart turned into a frightening experience for all involved when twenty-one year old Felix Petillo, an employee of Belize Horse and Carriage Tours, was accidentally run over by the same horse and carriage that he and his partner, Richard Williams, had been using to give the tour.
Jennifer Beck, Witness
“We came around the corner the wheel got caught in the ditch and the tyre popped. So the whole wheel was destroyed, not just the tyre. So the boy tried to take the tyre off the of wheel…”
Amy Perez, Witness
“So we all got off and the horseman went to get a spare axle, leaving the assistant horseman behind. The assistant horseman decided to try to repair it and get the wheel off the axle. At that point he asked the horse to travel forward a just a couple off feet.”
Jennifer Beck
“And he went (sound) to get the horse to go running and the horse took off running. He went after him and got caught under the wheel.”
Officials from Belize Horse and Carriage Tours contacted News 5 late this afternoon to inform us that according to their own investigation the horse was startled twice by passers-by. According to company owner, Jerrold Jenkins, the first time the horse began to run, he was quickly brought under control by Petillo. He says it was only after the horse received a deliberate slap from someone else that the animal got spooked and took off, injuring Petillo in the process.
While there may be some debate over what caused the accident, there is no dispute over what happened next. While Petillo lay injured, the horse continued out of control down Princess Margaret Drive. As the frantic equine passed Marina Towers, employees of the complex, Jason Musa and Gerald Hyde, gave chase in their vehicle, with Musa at the wheel and Hyde in the pan.
Gerald Hyde, Horse Wrangler
“I was at my work and me and my boss we saw the horse come running and I said to my boss run it down. It was going fast, so I told him to get close to it so I could stop it. And I just get the break to jump on it and stop it.”
And jump he did, just like in the movies Hyde managed to control the horse and the animal escaped without injury. The carriage, which was not insured, suffered minor damage. Felix Petillo was treated at the K.H.M.H. and released; miraculously suffering only from minor bumps and bruises.
Brent Toombs reporting for News 5.
Very much to our surprise, we were informed that the horse and carriage company also does not carry any liability insurance for its passengers or the public.
