A 50-year-old Tucson, Arizona, man and his horse are dead after a tragic hit and run this weekend.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, witnesses spotted a small blue pickup strike the horse and rider Saturday in the 10500 block of South Nogales Highway. The rider, Scott Allen Brown, and his horse are both deceased.
On Sunday, Pima County Sheriff’s Office deputies located the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run, and arrested 36-year-old Dimas Leon Mariscal for one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury or death. The investigation is ongoing.
As a recent article in EQUISEARCH points out, there are no national reported statistics about accidents with horses on the highway. And the authors say while it is not an everyday occurrence, anyone who rides the roads regularly can tell stories of careless or rude drivers.
EQUISEARCH advises riders to wear brightly colored or reflective clothing and a helmet, scout out road before you ride, choose roads that have a wide shoulder or area where you can escape, train at home, and use hand movements to signal to drivers, where appropriate.
Other road safety tips include:
- Choose day and time. If possible, choose a time to ride when you’re least likely to encounter big vehicles, lots of traffic, or people in a hurry. Avoid riding in low-light situations, such as at dusk or when it’s foggy.
- Take a riding buddy, and choose one with a safe, sensible mount and good horsemanship skills.
- Stay as far off the road as you safely can, both to avoid traffic and because horseshoes do not have good traction on pavement. Most experts advise riding single file when you’re alongside the road. Put the most visible person closest to approaching traffic-in front, if you’re facing traffic or at the end of the line, if traffic is coming up behind you.
- When a vehicle approaches, the most important task is controlling your horse. Try to make eye contact with the driver. Use hand signals to ask him to slow down, to let him know when it’s okay to pass, and to say “thank you” for his courtesy.
