Merced driver, 3 passengers injured during crash into horse on highway
A loose horse on Highway 41 led to a major-injury crash early Wednesday morning south of Coarsegold, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP officers based in Oakhurst were called to the scene of the crash involving two vehicles and the horse just a few minutes before 4 a.m., according to a CHP news release.
The crash happened on northbound Highway 41 south of Mecca Lane when a 59-year-old man driving a Honda CR-V stopped for the horse.
A 71-year-old Merced man driving a Honda Accord southbound on the highway didn’t see the horse standing in the middle of the highway and collided with it. The impact redirected the Accord to the southeast, where it collided with the front of the stopped CR-V, CHP said.
The Accord skidded off the roadway and tumbled down an embankment. Its driver suffered major head injuries and was taken by air ambulance to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.
The Accord carried three passengers, all from Merced, ranging in age from 51 to 75 years old. Each passenger was transported by air ambulance to CRMC for treatment of moderate to major head injuries.
The driver of the Honda CR-V suffered minor to moderate injuries and was taken by ground ambulance to CRMC.
The horse died, CHP said.
