Carriage Driver Injured After Horse is Spooked

This story first appeared on the Mackinac Island Town Crier site on June 24, 2023

A horse pulling a private livery carriage with a two horse team from Mackinac Island Carriage Tours was presumed to be spooked by an umbrella on Main Street near Bicycle Street Inn and Suites and the Shepler’s Ferry Dock Sunday, June 18, taking off down Main Street and causing the driver to be ejected from the carriage. The driver, who fell to the road, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted off the Island.

The horses involved were checked out by a veterinarian, said Brad Chambers, owner of Mackinac Island Carriage Tours, and are both doing fine.

The carriage involved was initially facing northeast down Main Street, running toward Shepler’s Ferry Dock around 9:45 a.m, before turning around to run a short distance southwest. The horse broke the buggy pole before taking off, and hit a light pole near the Bicycle Street Inn, at which point the driver fell from the buggy, said Police Chief Doug Topolski according to the police report.

Chief Topolski said that it was a rare incident, in the sense that the Island often doesn’t have a horse get spooked to the extent that someone gets injured.

“This is a good example of why people should be careful around horses, and realize that they can be startled by balloons, or umbrellas, or bags going across the street,” Chief Topolski said. “People should always give the horses the right of way, and realize that they can’t be stopped on a dime.”

Eyewitness reports may vary, Chief Topolski said.

“We often get different accounts of the same incident from different witnesses,” Chief Topolski added. “I would welcome any other witnesses to this event with pertinent information to come to the police station to make a report.”