Horses on Freeway Hit, Have to Be Destroyed

Two horses that were running on the San Bernardino Freeway had to be euthanized after being hit by cars, police said.

A third horse was not hurt and authorities were trying to find its owner Monday, said California Highway Patrol Officer Randy Young.

CHP dispatchers received calls at about 2:30 a.m. that the horses were seen running on the freeway near Ramona Avenue, he said. One of the horses was hit in the eastbound carpool lane and another horse, which made it off the freeway, was hit on Ramona Avenue. A truck driver blocked freeway lanes to prevent one of the horses from being hit again, Young said.

That horse was so seriously injured that a Chino police officer was asked to shoot it, Young said. The second horse was shot later by Chino officers after it was determined that the injuries were too serious, Young said.

“The one horse that was severely injured in the roadway kept trying to get up,” Young said. “It had like three broken legs.”

Freeway lanes remained closed until about 4:20 a.m. A brand inspector was called in to try to locate the owner of the surviving horse.