One horse killed, second has to be put down after being struck by a vehicle in Whitfield County

Published 10:14 am Friday, June 18, 2021

ROCKY FACE, Ga. — Two horses are dead following an accident involving a vehicle Tuesday night in Rocky Face that resulted in a man receiving a citation for domesticated animals at large.

According to a Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office incident report, a deputy was sent to LaFayette Road near Keown Lane around 9:37 p.m. on a report that a vehicle had “struck a horse that was loose in the roadway.”

When the deputy arrived he “observed a vehicle in the roadway with substantial damage to the front end. He also observed a medium-sized black horse in the ditch that was deceased.” He spoke to the driver of the vehicle and determined she was not injured.

The deputy was approached by Matthew Broadrick, 35, who told him he lived on Keown Lane and that there was a second horse that had been injured.

“He said that it was being detained by a passerby and that its injury was severe,” the report said. Broadrick said “he did not know where the horses belonged.”

The deputy knocked on the doors of nearby houses to find out whom the horses belonged to. Several people said they had observed two horses matching the description of the horses involved in the accident in a front yard on Keown Lane. The report said the description of the residence matched that of Broadrick’s residence.

The deputy drove past Broadrick’s residence and found a large fenced-in area in the front yard.

“… he saw several large piles of horse manure but did not see any horses,” the report said.

The deputy called Broadrick over and asked if he owned any horses. Broadrick said he had had a horse but “gave it away last week.” The deputy “pointed out that the manure in the yard was fresh and that several residents in the area recalled seeing the horses in his yard recently.” The report said Broadrick “finally admitted that the horses were staying in his fenced-in yard but said they belonged to someone else.” The report said Broadrick told the deputy “that he was afraid of being sued, which is why he did not take ownership of the horses initially.”

The report said a personwho was familiar with horses, who was not named, arrived. The person examined a “large laceration on the injured horse’s leg.” He “saw that (the horse) had a torn tendon and its leg was obviously broken.” Broadrick decided that the animal should be “put down.”

The deputy gave Broadrick a Magistrate Court citation for domesticated animals at large. The report said Broadrick and a friend “pulled one of the horses into his yard with a truck.” The other was left by the side of the road for someone to remove with a tractor. The deputy told Broadrick “that it was his responsibility to remove the animal and dispose of it properly.”

The report said the case remains active “pending further investigation.” When reached by phone by a reporter, Broadrick declined to comment.