Horse injured in wreck south of Rockford
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Kathy McLaughlan of Loxley and her horse, George, participated in a local trail ride before wrecking on their way home. Photo submitted
The horse trailer carrying George was totaled during the wreck, with the roof being split from the trailer. Photo submitted
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
A horse was injured and a vehicle and horse trailer totaled as the result of a wreck that occurred Sunday afternoon following a local trail ride.
According to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the single-vehicle crash occurred at approximately 3:05 p.m. September 24.
Kathy S. McLaughlan, 63 years old of Loxley, was driving a 2003 GMC Yukon with a loaded horse trailer attached, traveling south on U.S. Highway 231. The Yukon left the roadway, striking a ditch, which caused damage to the Yukon, as well as the horse trailer.
McLaughlan was not injured in the crash, according to ALEA. The crash occurred on Highway 231 near the 186-mile marker, close to County Road 129.
Those who responded to the scene of the wreck were Coosa County deputies, Rockford Volunteer Fire Department, Coosa County EMS, and State Troopers.
McLaughlan had left a trail ride near Rockford prior to the wreck occurring. Her horse, George, sustained injuries in the wreck.
The shift working with Coosa EMS that day were paramedic Jeffrey Painter and EMR Wade Turner. Painter provided care on the scene to the horse, bandaging wounds to the horse’s legs at the scene, but was also concerned that George might have a dislocated hip.
According to reports, it seemed that the trailer had rolled and that the horse managed to free himself through the roof of the trailer, which is how Painter believed he managed to cut up his legs. The roof was split from the trailer following the crash, which seemed to be how George escaped.
Painter contacted Coosa County EMS Director Hollie Osbourn, who then reached out to Castaway Animal Hospital in Eclectic and Carriage Hills Animal Clinic in Montgomery for assistance.
Painter had also informed Osbourn that he thought a couple of wounds would need stitches as they appeared to be deep lacerations. Castaway offered to come to the scene to assess the horse, but said they would only be able to treat him at their facility.
McLaughlan declined any assistance or treatment for her horse except to have him loaded in a trailer and transported home to her regular veterinarian. She was provided a ride home, but no appropriate horse trailer was available at the time to safely transport George.
John Harris of Rockford rescued the horse from the scene and kept him overnight until Sara Baldwin, also of Rockford, could load the horse in one of her trailers and drive him home to Loxley Monday.
According to reports, the Yukon and horse trailer were both totaled in the wreck. Looking at the condition of the trailer, Osbourn stated that it appeared to have been “a surely traumatic event for them both.”
