Woman dies in hospital after horse and cart broke free at country fair

Horse is thought to have charged after giving carriage rides to visitors at fair in Bury St Edmunds A woman has died after an incident involving a runaway horse and cart. She had been in a critical condition at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge after being injured at Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on Sunday afternoon. Police were contacted by the ambulance service just before 4.30pm to report that a horse and cart had got loose at a country show. A police spokeswoman said the woman who died aged 57 and from Bury St Edmunds. Witnesses said visitors screamed and fled as the animal charged at the Nowton Park country fair. Seven other people who were injured have been released from hospital. A number suffered back or abdominal injuries. Among them was Cindy Taylor, 65, who was knocked to the ground when her mobility scooter was crushed by the horse. She told the East Anglian Daily Times: “It was horrendous. Just terrible. I was terrified when I saw this horse coming towards me. Something had certainly spooked him.” The horse, which had been giving carriage rides to visitors earlier in the day, is believed to have broken free from where it was tethered, running over several people. Tony Curd, the St John Ambulance county commander, said: “Our volunteers provided medical cover at the event with an ambulance and mobile treatment centre and were able to respond immediately. They dealt with multiple casualties under difficult circumstances and are to be commended for their prompt actions. Our thoughts are with those injured this afternoon, at what should have been an enjoyable Father’s Day event.” A spokeswoman for St Edmundsbury borough council, which staged the event, said the council would work with the Health and Safety Executive to carry out a full investigation. She added: “Our thoughts are with those who were injured.” The four-year-old Breton horse, called Lucas, had been due to be sold for meat when he was rescued by his owner, Carriage Tours, of Bury St Edmunds, last September. The owners could not be contacted on Monday. guardian.co.uk

Posted by on June 20, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.