TWO horses were killed and three vehicles damaged in the fifth accident involving horses on York’s roads in less than a year.

A motorist told The Press of the chaotic scences that unfolded in Malton Road after a group of up to eight horses strayed into the carriageway last Saturday evening.

The man, from Ryedale, who does not want to be identified, said he was driving into York past the Hopgrove Toby Carvery when he suddenly became aware that several horses were in the road in front of him, having apparently strayed out of a field.

“I managed to swerve to the other side of the road and missed them, but then clipped the side of my car on the back leg of another horse on the other side of the road,” he said. “My car’s been badly damaged and may be written off.

“I parked up and put my warning flashers on, but then saw someone else in a large vehicle had hit the horse. It was on the bonnet and the windscreen was smashed.”

He said another car then hit a foal, badly injuring it, but the driver then drove off. He said the foal had to be put down later.

He believed he could have been badly injured or killed, had he not been able to swerve out of the way in time – as could the driver of the vehicle which hit it head-on, had their vehicle been a smaller car.

Earlier last year, stray horses were struck by vehicles on Malton Road, at Monks Cross, on the A166 between York and Stamford Bridge, and on a lane near Holtby.

Osbaldwick Independent councillor Mark Warters, who has warned someone could be killed before City of York Council finally tackles problems caused by stray horses, called yesterday for the animals involved in the latest incident to be impounded immediately.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed they attended the accident, in which two horses were killed and two Ford Focus cars and a Hyundai Terracan were damaged. A spokeswoman said the horses’ owners had not yet been traced.

Steve Waddington, of City of York Council said: “I am very concerned for both the drivers and horses involved in this incident.

“It is concerning too that it appears that the horses unfortunately escaped from a poorly-secured field before straying on to the road. However, this is a matter which the police and the owners of the horses will address.”