Angry Harborough dad says he ‘could have been killed’ when his horse was spooked by lorry – and his cart overturned

An angry Market Harborough dad said he could have been killed when his horse was spooked by a “speeding” lorry on a busy road – and his cart was overturned.

James, 50, said he was driving his horse-drawn cart from Market Harborough to Great Oxendon on the A508 yesterday afternoon (Thursday) when the drama happened.

The dad-of-four is now trying to track down Good Samaritan drivers who dashed to his rescue as he searches for eye-witnesses to help police launch an investigation.

The incident occurred at about 2.30pm just after James had driven Eric, his three-year-old horse, past Market Harborough Golf Club.

“He was fine but then a lorry came charging down the hill towards me.

“The driver must have been doing at least 60mph,” said James, whose family has five horses altogether.

“It was just the sheer force of the lorry going past us – he went past us so fast.

“It all happened so quickly.

“My horse bolted into the verge and as a result my cart jack-knifed and pivoted as an artic would – and it overturned.

“I got trapped underneath my cart.

“It was shocking,” said James, who said Eric is kept in East Farndon.

“But I hung on to Eric, I wasn’t letting him go of him.

“Luckily drivers who saw what had happened stopped at once and came straight over to help me.

“They managed to right the cart and free me.

“I suffered a few cuts and bruises – but I was lucky.

“This could have cost me my life.

“I could have been killed or seriously injured.

“Eric is all right as well thank goodness – because this sort of incident would wreck a lot of horses,” James told us this afternoon.

“I called the police and told them this lorry driver was going far too fast.

“But it’s my word against the driver’s – so they won’t even give me an incident number at the moment.

“So I’m appealing to the people who came to help me to give me a call if they saw the accident and can get behind me.

“There was a man and wife and another woman.

“I can’t thank them enough and I don’t know what I’d have done without them,” said the animal lover.

“I’d been out helping to step up Eric’s training on the roads.

“And almost all the drivers we came across in Market Harborough were brilliant.

“They totally understood and gave us plenty of room.

“But this lorry driver didn’t slow down one bit.

“He showed no common sense or road sense what so ever,” stressed James.

“My horses are my passion.

“I suffer from depression and they are my rock.

“They are my go to place.

“So I’d like to urge all drivers to use their common sense and slow down when they see a horse for everyone’s sake.”

If you went to James’s aid and you can support him now you can call him on 07506 988188.