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Friday, November 18, 2005
MEADOWLANDS-BOUND HORSES OKAY AFTER I-78 ACCIDENT
A routine ship to the Meadowlands from western Pennsylvania turned into a fiery nightmare for trainer Richie Gillock and Sally Bolon when a tractor trailer slammed into the back of their horse trailer on Interstate 78.
Bolon and Gillock were bringing four horses to the Meadowlands. Northern Sun and American Jones, Oil Burner contestant Steeler and Love of My Heart, a two-year-old trotting colt entered in Saturday’s $520,000 Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands.
“We left The Meadows this morning around 9:30,” said Bolon, wife of trainer-driver Rod Bolon who was taking their horse Steeler to the track. “We had come to a stop in an area where there was construction and all of a sudden a tractor trailer just slammed into the back of the trailer, I don’t know if he didn’t see us or couldn’t stop or what. We didn’t see him coming and the noise was just horrible. I was sure I was going to get out and see the horses were dead.”
According to Bolon the trailer was ripped off the gooseneck hitch and crumpled. The pickup was spun around and smashed into the two cars ahead of them, Amazingly all four horses emerged from the wreckage and galloped down the highway.
“I was so scared they were going to get over the median into oncoming traffic and be killed,” said Bolon. "Richie was yelling at me to get out of the way of the cars but I thought I had to get the traffic stopped. I think the horses were in shock, they didn’t go far just milled around and people got out of their cars and helped us catch them. The metal bar they were hooked to had snapped and they just had the short length of chain to grab a hold of them.”
The tractor-trailer that struck them caught fire and eventually burned to the ground. Bolon and Gillock and some equine good Samaritans helped hold the horses. “People were so kind, getting us blankets and water and hay from the wreckage of our trailer,” she said. “They pulled grass from the side of the road for them and tried to keep them calm. Standardbred are calm by nature but this really shook them up.
“I called [my husband] Rod and he was able to get a hold of Roger Hammer who was already at the Meadowlands,” she said. “He got Todd Schadel and Todd hooked up his trailer and came and got us. The accident shut down Interstate 78 for hours, causing miles long back up.”
Eventually the pacers arrived at the Meadowlands close to 7:30 p.m. and a veterinarian checked the horses.
“I can’t believe nobody was hurt, considering the wreckage,” Bolon said. “It is just unbelievable that the driver was okay and all the horses are okay. Love Of My Heart and Steeler just had some scrapes on their heads. Steelers leg bandages weren’t even wrinkled.”
Northern Sun who was in the rear of the trailer took the brunt of the impact. “He was cut an banged up the most.” Said Bolon. The story has a happy ending because no one got hurt but it was just horrible.
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