When residents hear the phrase “hit-and-run,” they typically imagine a car speeding away from an accident. But for one family in Golden Gate Estates, the culprit turned out to be far less expected — a man riding a horse.Daniela Reyes said her family discovered their mailbox knocked to the ground Saturday outside their home near 47th Avenue Northeast and 16th Street Northeast. At first, she assumed a reckless driver was responsible. Curious about what happened, her husband reviewed nearby video footage and followed the scene back down the road. What he found surprised them both.”I’m in the bathroom, and I hear him say, ‘Oh my gosh, you won’t believe it,'” Reyes said. “I come out there and look, and it’s a horse.”Video shared by the family shows a man galloping on horseback in broad daylight before the animal runs directly into the mailbox. After the collision, the rider appears to lose control and fall into a nearby ditch before quickly leaving the area.”He looked like he was going pretty fast,” Reyes said. “I don’t know what happened, if he lost control or the horse got distracted. No idea.”Reyes said she was surprised the rider never stopped to apologize or report the damage to authorities. Despite that, the family said they do not plan to press charges.”Our main concern was that the guy was OK and the horse looked OK,” Reyes said. “But we were just laughing, we could have never imagined it.”The homeowners have since repaired the mailbox and say that if another incident happens, they may move it farther away from the road, further away from both cars and horses.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
GOLDEN GATE ESTATES, Fla. —
When residents hear the phrase “hit-and-run,” they typically imagine a car speeding away from an accident. But for one family in Golden Gate Estates, the culprit turned out to be far less expected — a man riding a horse.
Daniela Reyes said her family discovered their mailbox knocked to the ground Saturday outside their home near 47th Avenue Northeast and 16th Street Northeast. At first, she assumed a reckless driver was responsible.
Curious about what happened, her husband reviewed nearby video footage and followed the scene back down the road. What he found surprised them both.
“I’m in the bathroom, and I hear him say, ‘Oh my gosh, you won’t believe it,'” Reyes said. “I come out there and look, and it’s a horse.”
Video shared by the family shows a man galloping on horseback in broad daylight before the animal runs directly into the mailbox. After the collision, the rider appears to lose control and fall into a nearby ditch before quickly leaving the area.
“He looked like he was going pretty fast,” Reyes said. “I don’t know what happened, if he lost control or the horse got distracted. No idea.”
Reyes said she was surprised the rider never stopped to apologize or report the damage to authorities. Despite that, the family said they do not plan to press charges.
“Our main concern was that the guy was OK and the horse looked OK,” Reyes said. “But we were just laughing, we could have never imagined it.”
The homeowners have since repaired the mailbox and say that if another incident happens, they may move it farther away from the road, further away from both cars and horses.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.