A Chesapeake man has been charged after hitting a wild horse with his off-road vehicle on an Outer Banks beach, in North Carolina in the United States.
According to Currituck County investigators, the man attempted to flee the scene following the collision, resulting in the horse’s euthanasia.
Deputies responded to the late-night incident involving a UTV and a horse. The driver had fled, but witnesses provided descriptions and a direction of escape.
The registration on the damaged UTV led deputies to identify 57-year-old Porter Williamson from Chesapeake, Virginia, as the vehicle’s owner.
While deputies were towing the wrecked UTV, they spotted Williamson attempting to flee again.
After a brief chase, officers apprehended him. Williamson faces charges of resisting, delaying, and obstructing law enforcement, with a $10,000 bond set.
Rhonda Williamson was also charged with similar offenses and providing false information, with a $5,000 bond.
The horse, a 10-year-old stallion named Bullwinkle, sustained severe injuries including significant skin trauma, a broken right hind leg, trauma to the left hind leg, and severe internal injuries.
As a result, Bullwinkle had to be euthanized. The Corolla Wild Horse Fund described Bullwinkle as a key member of the endangered Banker herd and expressed the profound impact of his loss.
“The injuries included significant skin trauma, a broken right hind leg, trauma to the left hind leg, and severe internal injuries,” said Meg Puckett, the herd manager. She emphasized the impact of reckless driving on the endangered herd’s gene pool.
Puckett noted that Bullwinkle’s death represents a significant loss to the herd, affecting future generations.
“When it’s things that could be prevented, especially when it’s caused by reckless driving or people not following the laws or whatever it is, it just makes it so much worse,” she added.
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund highlighted the endangered status of the wild horses on the Outer Banks, with only around 100 Banker horses remaining in the Currituck County area.
The loss of Bullwinkle, who was at an age where he was beginning to sire foals, further strains the already small gene pool.
A visitor who was surf fishing with a child witnessed the crash and called 911.
Puckett recounted that the witness provided crucial information and documented the condition of the horse, initially observing that Bullwinkle was still moving but in significant distress.
Deputies have charged Porter Williamson with resisting, delaying, and obstructing law enforcement, and Rhonda Williamson with similar charges and giving false information.
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund has described Bullwinkle’s death as a tragic example of how reckless human actions can severely impact the endangered herd.
