HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A girl and her trainer continue to recover in the hospital one day after a pickup truck hit and killed the horses they were riding in Southwest Ranches.
The 9-year-old girl was in the middle of a horse riding lesson on Sunday when a white Toyota Tundra traveling east along Griffin Road, near 199th Terrace slammed into the horses and the riders as they crossed the road.
Both the girl and her instructor, identified as Joy Shupnick, were transported to Memorial Regional Hospital in serious condition.
The 9-year-old suffered a skull fracture. The girl’s father said she also has blood and fluid inside of her lungs, and she will undergo an MRI so doctors can investigate the severity of her skull fracture.
“This young girl was wearing a helmet. It’s very possible that helmet saved her life,” said Davie Police Sgt. Mark Leone.
Shupnick’s husband spoke with 7News on Monday and said she was heavily sedated and undergoing numerous exams.
He also said the instructor loved riding.
Officials said the horses were instantly killed when James Rink, the driver of the white Toyota Tundra, slammed into them.
“He said that he had dropped his cellphone, was distracted by that brief period of time and struck the two horses,” said Leone.
The crash left area residents stunned.
Area resident Jim Laskey pointed out there’s a horse crossing traffic sign near the scene of the crash.
“Somebody didn’t even slow down for them for those horses,” Laskey said, “and they see the warning signs right there. That’s a horse crossing.”
As the victims recover, police said the deeper investigation can now begin.
“We don’t have any indication of the speed of the driver, but there will be a lengthy investigation,” said Leone.
It remains unclear whether the truck driver will face any charges.
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