3 June 2007 - Vol. # 32 - SPECIAL EDITION
June 3, 2007 - NYC:
This story did not appear in any of the
newspapers. A quick thinking passerby was in the area when the
accident happened - took pictures and reported this to the Gothamist.
How many other accidents go unreported!
From the
Gothamnist: "Reader Steve McNally sent us pictures and an
account of what must have been a wild West Side scene yesterday
afternoon. [Saturday, June 2nd]
A horse, still harnessed to
its carriage got spooked on 7th Ave. around 56th St. and took
off without its driver. The horse galloped south down the avenue
with its driver chasing behind, yelling "Whoa! whoa!" but unable
to catch his cab. Unfortunately, as the horse went headlong into
the intersection at 54th St. it was hit by an SUV. The animal
went down hard and its cab was knocked loose, spinning up onto
the curb where it barely missed several pedestrians. The horse
got up, but seemed dazed, and a few New Yorkers walked into the
street and started directing traffic around the
rubberneck-inducing scene. The FDNY eventually arrived to take
control of the situation just as the horse began to get fed up
with all the attention it was receiving from the crowd. It
limped off across the street with its driver. More pictures
after the jump."
The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages urges the City Council
and the Mayor to take action on this issue and pass legislation that
would end the dangerous carriage horse industry in New York City.
Besides being a humane issue for the horses who live lives of
misery, it is a serious safety issue for the public in this traffic
congested city.
We also urge each and every
one of you to contact your Council Member and every one of
you to contact your Council Member and the Mayor if you live in
NYC. If you live outside of NYC, please contact the Mayor.
Click
here for Council Member information.
Click here to Contact Mayor Bloomberg. Please ask them to
pass legislation that would end the carriage horse industry.
Tell them that a 2000 pound horse who is out of control is
dangerous to himself and to pedestrians. Horse-drawn carriages
do not belong in congested NYC. Make reference to the Gothamist
story since this did not appear anywhere else.
Thanks to the Gothamist for being the only one to report this
story and Steve McNally for providing these photos and an account of
the accident.
