Horse running on busy freeway killed, creating gridlock near City of Industry

Fast Break

Terry Castleman April 3, 2024

A semi truck and a sedan struck and killed a horse that had been seen running along a busy freeway Tuesday evening in City of Industry, blocking traffic for several hours.

California Highway Patrol officers responded to a call at 7:49 p.m. of a “horse running in lanes and slow traffic” on the 605 Freeway, CHP Officer Ramon Kendricks said.

A minute later, another call reported a trailer had stopped next to a “dead horse blocking one or two lanes,” he said.

At 7:55 p.m., CHP officers arrived on the scene to find that the horse had been hit by “a sedan and a semi truck,” according to Hendricks.

It was unclear how the horse got on the freeway, perhaps falling from a trailer, he said, and officials continue to investigate the incident.

The “horse was blocking the HOV and one lane,” and after CHP arrived “all lanes were stopped,” he said.

Caltrans officials said initially that they did not have the ability to pick up the horse and requested help from animal control. Ultimately, though, “Caltrans responded with a loader and a dump truck,” Hendricks said.

As late as 10 p.m., the dead horse was left uncovered on the carpool lane on the 605. It lay on its side, a pool of blood around its head. Two California Highway patrolmen stood about 20 feet away, talking to each other as traffic crawled along.

Eventually, Caltrans employees arrived “with a bulldozer to lift the horse up onto the truck” and clear it from the scene, according to OnScene.

Times staff writer Gustavo Arellano contributed to this report.