The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a horse was killed in a hit-and-run traffic crash Monday night.
At 9:10 p.m., Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 40800 block of North Delaney Road in Wadsworth for reports of a traffic crash involving a horse, a press release said. Upon arrival, officers found several people tending to the injured horse.
A preliminary investigation revealed a horse was walking southbound on Delaney Road, in the northbound lane of traffic, the release said. At the same time, a large vehicle, likely a pick-up truck, traveling northbound struck the horse and did not stop at the scene, the release added.
The horse sustained major injuries in the collision, the release said. Following an evaluation, a veterinarian who responded to the scene determined the only course of action was to euthanize the horse, the release added.
It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was riding the horse, or if it had escaped from a nearby ranch, the sheriff’s office said, though a search using canines and drones did not reveal a rider. Multiple ranches and horse farms in the area were checked in an attempt to locate the owner of the horse, the sheriff’s office said, adding that the attempts were unsuccessful.
According to officials an investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the traffic crash or the horse is encouraged to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at 847-377-4000.