The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a horse was killed in a traffic accident Monday night.
At 9:10 p.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to the 40800 block of North Delaney Road in Wadsworth for reports of a traffic accident involving a horse, according to a news release. Upon arrival, the police found several people tending to the injured horse.
A preliminary investigation revealed a horse was traveling southbound on Delaney Road, in the northbound traffic lane, the release said. At the same time, a large vehicle, likely a truck, traveling north struck the horse and did not stop at the scene, the release added.
The horse suffered serious injuries in the collision, according to the release. After an evaluation, a veterinarian who responded to the scene determined that the only course of action was to euthanize the horse.
It was not immediately clear if someone was riding the horse or if it had escaped from a nearby ranch, the sheriff’s office said, although a search with dogs and drones did not reveal a rider. Several ranches and horse farms in the area were checked in an attempt to find the owner of the horse, the sheriff’s office said, adding that efforts were unsuccessful.
According to officials, an investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information about the crash or the horse is asked to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at 847-377-4000.