The horse was a ten-year old Morgan Arab.
(SUNNYBROOK) - A horse died Friday morning after falling out of the back of its trailer northbound on Interstate 205 at the Sunnybrook overpass south of Portland.
Preliminary investigation indicates the horse kicked at the back door causing the door to open and the horse fell out onto the freeway.
911 calls about the injured horse in the northbound lanes of Interstate 205 near milepost 14 started coming in around 8:20 AM, drawing response from Oregon State Police troopers, Clackamas County Sheriff's deputies and Highway Department crews.
Upon arrival, deputies and troopers found a critically injured horse in the center northbound lane. Due the severity of the horse's injuries and obvious suffering, officers stopped traffic and put the horse down.
Traffic was getting through the area using the left freeway shoulder until all lanes were reopened about 9:25 AM.
Police say the horse, a black Morgan Arab about ten years old, was one of three horses being transported from Sisters, Oregon to Washington State for a horse show.
The horses were in a 2006 Silverlite horse trailer towed by a 1999 Ford F450 motorhome driven by 41-year old Kristine Yozamp of Bend. The horse owner was not present in the motorhome.
As the vehicles were northbound, Yozamp told investigators that she could tell the horses were acting up and she was attempting to slow down to move to the freeway shoulder when a passing motorist was frantically motioning to her to stop.
It was then that she discovered the horse had fallen out of the back of the trailer onto the freeway.
A passenger car driving behind the trailer was struck on the right side by the horse when it fell out, resulting in minimal damage to the car. It is believed no other vehicles struck the severely injured horse.
Police say an examination of the trailer revealed that the horse was kicking at the locked rear door when it apparently bowed in to the point that it opened, and the horse fell out.
The other two horses were transported in the same trailer after a Clackamas County Sheriff's Deputy secured the damaged door with rope. The horses were taken to a neaby location.
A veterinarian responded to the scene and sedated both of the other horses.
Oregon Department of Transportation teams handled removal of the dead horse after it was moved to the side of the freeway.
The horse's death was seen as an unfortunate incident and no people were considered to be at fault.
Horse Dies After Falling Out of Trailer on I-205Salem-News.com