A horse who was hit by a car Tuesday while wandering the streets of Jurupa Valley suffered an extreme leg injury that prompted animal control officers to immediately put down the equine.
The 10-year-old bay quarter gelding was struck about 1 p.m. in the area of Etiwanda Avenue and Jurupa Road, according to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.
The driver of a white sedan ran into the steed as the horse trotted southbound on Etiwanda, shattering the creature’s right front leg, which went through the vehicle’s windshield, agency spokesman John Welsh said.
The motorist suffered minor injuries, and the horse, with his leg torn open, attempted to bolt but could not make it, according to reports from the scene.
County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies helped coral the animal adjacent to Etiwanda, which deputies closed to traffic in both directions while trying to calm the traumatized horse.
Three animal control officers were sent to assess the equine and determine whether he could be saved.
“At a distance, the horse appeared to be standing on all fours, but once we got close enough, it was clear the injured leg was immobile and non-weight bearing,” Lt. James Huffman said. “The horse was clearly suffering, and we made the decision to euthanize the horse.”
According to Welsh, Huffman used a gun to put the animal down on the spot, as opposed to resorting to a lethal injection.
The lieutenant felt that shooting the animal was the most humane way to end his suffering given the “exigent circumstances,” Welsh said.
He said it was unclear where the gelding had come from, but he may have been tied off to a tree limb that broke, because officers found a rope that had been attached to the animal, as well as a broken branch inside one end of the binding.
A company that contracts with the county to remove large dead animals was dispatched to retrieve the remains.
Anyone with information about the horse and to whom he might have belonged was asked to contact the Department of Animal Services at (951) 358-7387.