During a carriage ride

Horses bolted: Farmer (68) injured

A carriage ride ended in a serious accident in Leoben-Göss on Thursday afternoon: after two horses got loose, a 68-year-old farmer was caught between the animals. The man was flown to Graz University Hospital by rescue helicopter.

Together with his twelve-year-old grandson and an acquaintance (70), a farmer was driving a two-horse carriage on a gravel road not far from his own farm in Leoben-Göss on Thursday. 

As the carriage passed a pasture, some cows charged towards the carriage. One of the horses was so startled that the carriage plunged into a ditch. While the passengers were able to jump off in time, according to the police, the 68-year-old was caught between the horses. 

Horses galloped off on their own
The injured Upper Styrian's grandson immediately ran back to the farm to get help, while his 70-year-old companion administered first aid. After first aid by an emergency medical team, the 68-year-old was flown to Graz University Hospital by a rescue helicopter with injuries of indeterminate severity. 

In the meantime, the horses had galloped a few hundred meters away and the team hit a parked car. One horse fell and the carriage came to a standstill.