Horse killed in car accident on Bush Highway

The US Forest Service has said that the wild/feral horses near the Salt River can be a safety hazard.

On Monday at least one of the horses got onto the roadway and was hit and killed, the driver left the scene.

But horse activists say events like this are preventable.

The horse that was killed was a 2-year-old colt that advocates had named Thunder. They believe the horse got to the road through an opening in the barbed wire fencing next to Bush Highway.

"They come through and get to the road, and yet the opposite crossing has been blocked off, and it's been blocked off for some time," said State Rep. Kelly Townsend.

Townsend has joined the fight to keep the Salt River Horses where they are. She opposes plans to round up the horses and auction them off. One of the Forest Service's concerns is the safety of drivers when the horses get onto the road.

"Yes it is dangerous, but it hasn't been managed properly, and this would be avoidable easily. I mean how much would it cost for a spot of barbed wire, how much did it cost this person's vehicle, and possibly someone's life?" said Townsend.

Last week the Forest Service scrapped plans to remove the horses that have become a major attraction.

In a statement the USFS says it plans to "explore potential alternatives for meeting our obligations for both land stewardship and public safety."

Horse supporters will be offering their solutions to stop something like this from happening again.

"It is completely preventable. So it is not really a valid concern when you could be doing something about it. When you have volunteers, that can have sponsors you can get fundraising to resolve the problem. I am here to help," said Becky Stanridge.