SPANISH FORK, Utah, Nov. 27, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — An alleged drunken driver was arrested Saturday night after police say he ignored barricades along a Spanish Fork parade route and crashed into a horse and rider.
Spanish Fork Police Sgt. Blake Ottesen said a man in his 50s from the Payson area ignored officers’ instructions to stop and drove through barricades set up for the Winter Lights Parade.
After driving through one barricade around 7 p.m. and stopping just short of hitting another, officers approached the driver and ordered him to get out of the vehicle, Ottesen told Gephardt Daily.
“Instead he drove around for another 6 1/2 blocks,” he said.
The motorist then hit a horse participating in the parade, injuring the animal and knocking its rider to the ground, Ottesen said.
The horse was limping following the crash, but the extent of its injuries was unknown Sunday, police said. The horse’s rider was treated for minor injuries at the scene, Ottesen said.
Officers arrested the man at the scene of the crash, he said.
“An open container of alcohol was found in the vehicle,” Ottesen said.
The man was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.
