A man is in hospital and two horses are dead after an horrific crash near New Plymouth early this morning.
New Plymouth Fire Service Senior Station Officer Maurice Kemsley told APNZ three horses had escaped their paddock on State Highway 3 in a 100km/h zone near the city.
A man came around a corner just as it was getting light, at about 6.40am, and hit the horses, one ending up in his back seat.
"I think it must have just missed him and, fortunately, he had no passengers in the car," Mr Kemsley said.
A Hi-Ab was needed to lift the horse out of the wrecked car but it was the lucky one and survived. Its stablemates had to be put down.
