Horse run over by train when hoof gets stuck in railroad

11:45 AM PDT on Friday, June 29, 2007

Grant County Sheriff's Office

Yesterday afternoon the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad reported one of their trains struck a horse that was on the tracks located just north of State Route 28 between roads I and H NW approximately 8-miles southwest of Ephrata.

KGW graphic

Apparently 28-year old Kimberly Ann Nelson was on the tracks with her horse when one of the horse’s hooves became lodged between a railroad timber and the rail (tracks). In her attempt to free the horse’s hoof the horse panicked and spooked causing an even greater issue. The approaching train could not stop in time and the horse was struck throwing it off the track and into an irrigation canal. The horse was deceased as deputies arrived on scene.

Nelson, who had some of her children with her, was not injured from the incident. It took the Burlington Northern engineer more than a mile to stop the train. The crew went back to the scene and made contact with Nelson.