An accident involving a horse trailer kept a section of Highway 3A/6 closed for about two hours on Friday, July 11.
A tragedy was thankfully avoided in the incident, injuries and trauma minimized thanks to cool heads and quick action. Horse pictured below was relatively un-injured. (Jennifer Cowan photos).
Just after 5 p.m., Nelson RCMP were dispatched to a traffic accident just west of the Playmor Junction.A truck was towing a horse trailer when the trailer dislodged from the vehicle, broke the safety chains and ended up flipping over blocking the highway.
One of the two horses in the trailer escaped relatively unharmed. The second horse was trapped on its side, pinned by twisted metal. Tarrys Fire rescue attended the scene and performed remarkably well, cutting the metal horse trailer away to unpin the horse.
Beasley Fire Rescue member, Monica Spencer tended to the injured horse until a veterinarian arrived.
All on the scene reportedly helped pull the horse to its feet, free from the wreckage.
A good Samaritan and his family, Brian, Rowan, and Korynn Weber were called and graciously came to the scene with a horse trailer and used their expertise to load the frightened and injured horses to transport them home for the owners.
The two occupants of the truck, a mother and daughter were shaken but uninjured. The incident closed the highway for about 90 minutes.
Tarrys Fire Rescue and Monica Spencer received thanks from the Nelson RCMP for their efforts, as did the Weber family – operators of Koot-Neigh, a Nelson vaulting program – for their knowledgable assistance.
A great many motorists were thanked for their patience and cheerful composure during the episode.