Horse killed, 4 people hurt after SUV hits carriage in Adirondacks, reports say

Jan 2, 2024 at 5:05 PM

Chestertown, N.Y. — A horse was killed and four people were injured after an SUV hit a horse-drawn carriage on New Year’s Eve in the Adirondacks, according to reports.

The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. in Chestertown on a road alongside Friends Lake in Warren County.

A 68-year-old man was driving a 2018 Nissan SUV south on Atateka Drive when he crashed into the back of a carriage at the top of a hill near Circle Drive, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office told WRGB CBS 6 News in Albany.

The horse, which was from Circle B Ranch, was fatally injured and had to be euthanized, the Times Union reported.

The three people riding in the carriage — operator Anthony M. Willett, 22, of Queensbury, and passengers Joseph T. Howley, 25, and Sydney Howley, 26, both of Fort Drum — were all injured, reported the North Country Gazette. Gene B. Gritzbach, the Pottersville man who was driving the SUV, was also hurt.

All four people were taken to Glens Falls Hospital with non life-threatening injuries, deputies told the Times Union. Investigators do not suspect speeding or intoxication were involved.

Circle B Ranch is on Potter Brook Road, under a mile from where the accident happened. The ranch offers sleigh rides, horseback riding, hayrides and more.