Van driver rounds up escaped horses on A166 (From York Press)
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Van driver rounds up escaped horses on A166
9:30am Thursday 31st January 2013 in News
Jim Thompson, who had to round up escaped horses near York to prevent a serious accident
A VAN driver has told how he averted a potentially tragic accident when he came across two horses “running amok” on a main road near York.
Heating engineer Jim Thompson was driving home along the A166 York to Stamford Bridge road late on Sunday evening when he spotted the animals on the road near Gate Helmsley.
“With the speed that cars come belting down that stretch of road, I thought ‘this can only end in tears’, especially when I realised one of the animals was dragging about 25 feet of heavy chain around behind it,” he told The Press.
“Imagine a motorcycle avoiding the horses only to run into the chain. I’m not a hero but I couldn’t drive home knowing I had seen an accident waiting to happen on an icy road. I couldn’t have it on my conscience to do nothing and then read in The Press the next day that someone had been killed.”
Mr Thompson, of Fulford, said he managed to park his front wheels on the chain to restrict the horse’s movements, and then put on a high visibility jacket and herded the other animal into a field.
He then called police and waited for 30 minutes. When no one arrived, he rang the police back and was told officers had instead simply informed the animals’ owners.
“Just then, the owner turned up but he was particularly unconcerned, saying: ‘What’s the problem?’ before taking the horses away.”
The Press has reported a series of road accidents involving escaped horses in the York area over the past year, including one on the A166 in which a van driver said he could have been killed had he been driving a smaller car.
City of York Council has been working up proposals to tackle the problem of illegally tethered horses, but two councillors warned late last year that they feared someone would die by crashing into an escaped animal before the measures were introduced.
A police spokeswoman said: “We’d like to thank Mr Thompson for his public-spirited actions in helping to prevent what could have been a serious incident. We received a call just before 11pm and immediately notified the owner of the horses, who assured us they were nearby and would attend.
“Clearly it’s unacceptable to put members of the public and animals in such danger, and we are working with City of York Council to provide a long-term solution to the problem of loose horses in and around York. However, we would also remind the owners of the animals have a responsibility to keep them under control.”
Comments(21)
Jiffy
says...
9:47am Thu 31 Jan 13
No - thought not ......... not fit to have animals & should be banned from keeping any kind as a result of this on grounds of the chain alone
keepitshut
says...
9:54am Thu 31 Jan 13
Agree with typhoon75, get something sorted and SOON!!
Brabus
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9:55am Thu 31 Jan 13
yorkiemum
says...
10:04am Thu 31 Jan 13
osbaldwicklane
says...
10:09am Thu 31 Jan 13
Pete the Brickie
says...
10:22am Thu 31 Jan 13
A police spokeswoman said: “We’d like to thank Mr Thompson for his public-spirited actions in helping to prevent what could have been a serious incident. We received a call just before 11pm and immediately notified the owner of the horses, who assured us they were nearby and would attend.
If they knew who owned the animals the Police clearly had an ideal oppotunity not to mention an obligation to attend and investigate this potentially fatal incident surely?
There'd have been dozens of them and muliple vehicles available to stand round for hours laughing and joking in large unsupevised groups, blocking the road once one had checked every mechanical detail and estimated the speed of Mr Thompson's van to try and blame him if he'd crashed into the animal.
Captain Beige
says...
10:29am Thu 31 Jan 13
At least Humberside police show they care for their community - not something North Yorks can say!
capt spaulding
says...
10:39am Thu 31 Jan 13
jaycee
says...
10:49am Thu 31 Jan 13
dodgydavereturns
says...
11:21am Thu 31 Jan 13
Well done though mate. We saw one running past one evening and there was no way we would have tried.
I hate these p*key ***tards that have no care for animals. Lawless idiots
Pete the Brickie
says...
11:58am Thu 31 Jan 13
Chrido81
says...
1:00pm Thu 31 Jan 13
Oh, and didn't the police/council comment last time that it's difficult to track down the owners? It seems the police had no difficulty in this case.
The owner of these particular horses didn't seem too concerned either. "What's the problem?" he said. The problem is those horses could have been killed or indeed killed someone else. These people don't deserve to own any horses if they don't understand how to look after them.
Kathy 2010
says...
1:23pm Thu 31 Jan 13
imk
says...
1:33pm Thu 31 Jan 13
Brabus wrote:i'm sure tesco will be interested
Next time just phone one of the local burger manufacturers - sure they'll be there in a flash
perplexed
says...
1:41pm Thu 31 Jan 13
alfie
says...
2:13pm Thu 31 Jan 13
Podlet
says...
2:16pm Thu 31 Jan 13
alfie wrote:I was an animal lover when I used to live in Wales. Then they took my wellies and velcro gloves away...
This is a joke so every time someone phones to tell the police there is a horse running loose endangering lives all they do is try and phone the gypo that owns it and they come and remove it when they can! I feel so sorry for the horses also they look so bloody miserable we are supposed to be animal lovers in this country.
Pete the Brickie
says...
4:47pm Thu 31 Jan 13
Guy Fawkes
says...
11:25pm Thu 31 Jan 13
Next time just phone one of the local burger manufacturers - sure they'll be there in a flash
Or just put them in the back of his van, taken them up the road to the Dalepak factory and ask them to make him an offer.
xtc
says...
5:01pm Fri 1 Feb 13
Pete the Brickie wrote:Yeah and walk round town on a night looking at women!nice to know they earn their money.I came across a injured deer on the way home one night stopped directed traffic foned plod 30 mins later turned up not bothered attitude now showing all over the service.
Luckily elsewhere there were dozens of officers available earlier today to safely disarm that bottle of designer perfume at The Hilton.
typhoon75 says...
9:46am Thu 31 Jan 13
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!