WALTERBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA — A two-year-old Thoroughbred filly being transported from Florida to New York survived a violent tractor-trailer rollover on Interstate 95 near Walterboro on Saturday afternoon, spending hours trapped inside the overturned trailer in 95-degree heat with one leg stuck through a side window before firefighters, veterinarians, and animal services crews worked together to cut her free — and she walked out of the wreckage on her own.
The Creech Horse Transportation tractor-trailer was heading north on I-95 near mile marker 55 when a suspected front-right tire blowout caused the driver to lose control. The truck swerved into the median, struck approximately 100 feet of guardrail under the Beach Road overpass, rolled onto its passenger side, and slid into the southbound lanes where it struck the cab of a southbound tractor-trailer. The filly was the only horse aboard. Neither truck driver was seriously injured — the horse transport driver was evaluated at the scene and did not require ambulance transport, and the second driver was uninjured.
The Rescue
The filly was trapped inside the overturned trailer with one leg stuck through a side window. Three firefighter-paramedics with horse experience were able to calm her through another open window while crews climbed ladders to reach the top of the trailer. Positive pressure ventilation fans were used to blow cooler air into the compartment and cool water was provided. An initial attempt to cut into the trailer was abandoned when the noise from the tools frightened her.
Colleton County Animal Services and local veterinarian Lori Campbell responded. Dr. Brittany Carney from Charleston Equine Clinic also arrived and coordinated sedation. Once the filly was calm enough, crews used Holmatro Pentheon rescue tools to cut the window guard trapping her leg. They then used rescue tools and a K-12 saw to cut a section from the rear wall of the trailer large enough for her to exit. Gerald’s Wrecker Service used a winch to pull the section away. Benton’s Feed and Seed brought fresh hay to the scene to feed her during the ordeal.
The filly walked out of the trailer on her own. She was loaded into a trailer provided by Colleton County Animal Services and transported to Charleston Equine Clinic for treatment of multiple non-life-threatening injuries.
After the horse was freed, Gerald’s and Eric Bailey’s large wreckers righted the truck and cleared the highway. Southbound I-95 was closed for approximately three and a half hours with SCDOT erecting a detour at Exit 57 routing traffic through Walterboro. South Carolina Highway Patrol and SC State Transport Police are investigating.
The Filly’s Condition
Owner David Radliff said the filly had left Williston Mile near Ocala, Florida, around 8 a.m. Saturday heading to trainer Rob Atras in New York for her first start. By Sunday she was stable and under 24-hour veterinary surveillance at Charleston Equine.
“The Dr told me it is nothing short of a miracle that she is in her current condition based on the accident scene and condition they found her in,” Radliff told the Paulick Report.
In a Sunday evening update Radliff added that her vitals were fluctuating but manageable, she was eating and drinking, and had completed a light hand-walking session. Vets had not yet been able to conduct full radiograph and ultrasound evaluations of her joints, but visible inflammation was noted in several areas including the fetlock that had been trapped in the window. Her long-term prognosis and any future racing career remained undetermined.
The filly is an unnamed daughter of Drain the Clock out of the Lookin At Lucky mare Westerly, purchased privately by Radliff after being cataloged at the OBS June 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
Interviews courtesy of Colleton County Fire Rescue and Paulick Report.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
