Driver hit wild stallion on Outer Banks and left scene, officials say. The horse died

A 9-year-old wild stallion roaming North Carolina’s Outer Banks had to be euthanized after a suspected hit-and-run car crash, according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

The “banker” horse, named Thicket, drew attention Sunday, July 23, when witnesses noted he had been standing in the same spot for an extended period, the fund said in a news release.

“He was unable to put any weight on his leg and was unwilling to move,” the fund discovered.

“Our staff person also noticed pieces of a vehicle (shards of plastic from a turn signal, and pieces of plastic fender) on the road next to Thicket.”

Thicket was captured and taken to a farm on the mainland for closer examination. X-rays confirmed he had a “badly fractured” elbow, officials said.

“This was consistent with the trauma we suspected, as were multiple, significant lacerations on his shoulder and face. The height and location of these injuries were also consistent with a vehicle impact,” the fund reported.

“Due to the severity of the injuries and concerns for his quality of life, we made the decision to euthanize Thicket.”

The Currituck County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, including interviews with people in nearby homes, officials said.

No witnesses have come forward and none of the homes had outdoor security cameras, the fund said.

“We will probably never know who hit Thicket, or why they didn’t call 911 to report it so that we could have responded sooner,” herd manager Meg Puckett wrote on Facebook.

“We hope that it was truly an accident; that it wasn’t due to alcohol or reckless driving. But to be honest, we keep asking ourselves what kind of person could hurt a horse that badly and then just leave them there to suffer?”

Thicket had overcome countless challenges and was considered in his prime, she said. He had become the protector of a harem of four mares in the past year.

“It takes a lot of strength, maturity, and good instincts to be a successful harem stallion. Not all of them are capable of it,” Puckett said.

“We were so proud of him, and excited about the prospect of new foals. It’s a devastating loss for the herd, and heartbreaking for those of us who have watched Thicket grow up. ... How many future generations of Banker horses died with Thicket?”

Corolla, on the northernmost part of the Outer Banks, hosts a herd of about 100 horses that have adapted over the centuries to a unique island diet. The free-roaming herd is tended by the nonprofit Corolla Wild Horse Fund, including all their medical needs and maintaining a farm to keep those removed from the wild.

County ordinances forbid humans to get within 50 feet of the horses.

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