After coming detached from the hitch on the truck towing it, this trailer rolled three times and landed upright on Highway 61 on March 24. Amazingly, the horse, an Arabian named Sunny, was ejected from the trailer and was not seriously injured.
An Arabian horse named Sunny escaped injury when the trailer being used to transport him somehow broke loose and flipped three times on Highway 61 at about 9 a.m. on Monday, March 24, 2014.
According to Minnesota State Patrol, Tammy Smith of Grand Marais was driving westbound in a 2011 Chevy Silverado owned by Shannon Finke of Grand Marais when the accident happened near Spruce Creek in Lutsen. Finke’s horse, Sunny, was inside the trailer owned by Smith when it became detached from the truck and rolled, stopping upright in the driving lane.
The horse was ejected from the trailer, but appeared to be fine, said State Trooper Chris Thostenson. Reached by phone a few days later, Finke said miraculously Sunny was practically unharmed. He suffered an abrasion on his withers.
The women think the horse was thrown out immediately, before the trailer rolled over. The rubber flooring also came loose so they think the rubber matting protected the horse. “He didn’t even fall down,” said Finke in amazement.
Thostenson said the cause of the accident was unclear. He said apparently the trailer fastening device became unhooked—perhaps because the truck and trailer hit a bump—and the safety chains were insufficient, causing the trailer to sway and then roll. However, Thostenson said the chains looked adequate and there was no reason to think they wouldn’t hold. No citation was issued.
Smith, the owner of the trailer, said the scary incident was “one of those fluke things.” She added that anyone with an older bulldog hitch should be aware that this could happen. “The older ones don’t have a safety pin. People need to know that they should drill one in.”
“It’s a miracle the horse survived,” added Smith.
State Patrol and Cook County Sheriff Deputies remained on the scene for traffic control because the trailer was partially blocking the highway. Cook County Towing hauled the trailer off and another horse trailer was found to take Sunny home. The highway was clear by about 10:30 a.m.
No one was injured and the pickup truck suffered no damage. The trailer, because of its age, is likely totaled, said Thostenson.
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