By By Adam Prestridge
Three horses lost their lives Tuesday night following a bizarre automobile accident that backed up traffic for miles.
According to rescue personnel at the scene of the accident, which occurred on Hwy. 31 just south of Canoe, an unidentified woman driving a Ford Taurus plowed into three horses that escaped from their pasture, while travelling northbound. Following the impact, one horse managed to make it to safety in a grassy area beside the road and another attempted to limp to safety, but wandered into southbound traffic and was struck a second time by a 1994 Chevrolet S-10 driven by Dillard Barnhill of Atmore. The third horse was killed instantly.
"I was very lucky," Barnhill said at the scene. "I'm lucky I didn't get any glass in my eyes. If I wouldn't have had my seatbelt I probably would have gone through the windshield."
Flomaton's Justin Franklin saw the first accident occur and did what he could to prevent another.
"It happened right in front of me," Franklin said. "I was trying to flag him (Barnhill) down, but I didn't want to get to close to the road."
According to an official, the third horse was later euthanized due to the extent of its juries.
The Atmore Police Department, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, the Alabama State Troopers Office, the Atmore Fire &Rescue Department and Atmore Ambulance responded to the scene of the wrecks.