Horse Hit by Car, Killed in Rancho Santa Fe; Rider Injured [UPDATED]

RANCHO SANTA FE, CA: A woman suffered severe injuries Friday and the horse she was riding was killed when a car driven by an 87-year-old motorist struck them near San Dieguito County Park.

The horse and rider had just crossed Linea del Cielo in Rancho Santa Fe and were in a bicycle lane when the westbound 2005 Toyota Corolla veered off the roadway for unknown reasons and hit them near La Floresta about 9:15 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

Medics took the 61-year-old woman to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla for treatment of major injuries, CHP public-affairs Officer Jim Bettencourt said. The horse died at the scene.

The motorist was unhurt, according to Bettencourt, who said drugs or alcohol were not believed to be factors in the accident.

City News Service

***Updated at 1:05 p.m. Pacific Time; Originally posted at 11:43 p.m. Pacific Time, April 29, 2016