'Is He Dead?' Five People Injured After A Car Crashes Into A Horse In Tulsa

Five people are in the hospital after Tulsa police say a driver crashed into a man riding a horse in East Tulsa on Saturday night.

The family of the man on the horse says it’s a miracle he’s alive and only suffered a few injuries.

Yamileth Hernandez says that five minutes after riding her horse past Jose Sandoval, she got a call saying Jose and his horse were hit at an intersection.

The horse, named Dear, died. Jose survived, and Yamileth says it’s because Dear saved his life.

Hernandez says that while the intersection of East 11th Street and South 145th East Avenue in Tulsa doesn’t have many lights, it is a popular area for horseback riders.

“It’s a crossroad that we use a lot, and we’ve been using it for the past, I don’t know, how many years or decades. But last night, it ended up being a tragedy, and that tragedy could have been any of us,” said Hernandez, who is part of Rancho Los Pinos.

Hernandez says Sandoval’s uncle asked her to call 911 after the car hit Jose and his horse. She helped interpret for them when first responders arrived at the scene.

“I had just seen him five minutes ago—19 years old, young, loves horses, full life ahead of him. My first question is, ‘Is he dead?’” Hernandez said.

Hernandez describes the crash as a horrendous scene. She says Jose suffered a broken femur and a dislocated arm and hopes he can overcome the emotional trauma ahead.

“I pray that he’s just able to get past the trauma of not only being in the air like that, landing, but also waking up and being unconscious and finding out that the horse is dead too. I mean, there are no words for that,” Hernandez said.

While Hernandez acknowledges the risks of riding horses on roads, she says riders accept those risks. However, after this accident, she hopes the city of Tulsa will improve safety measures in the area.

“I would just really love for us to get even some flashing lights at that stop sign, some horse crossing signs,” Hernandez said.

Tulsa police say four teenagers were inside the car that hit Jose and his horse. The family of one of the teens says the driver was speeding. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.

News On 6 spoke with Cali Bex, who says her son John was a passenger in the car.

She says John received hundreds of stitches and will need reconstructive surgery. The other three teenagers in the car are expected to survive.

News On 6 reached out to the City of Tulsa about adding lights to the stop signs but has not received a response. The station will follow up on Monday.

You can help Jose, HERE.