By Bonny Burrows
A witness to a “horrific” accident which saw a horse rider flown to hospital in a serious condition has spoken out in the hope her story will encourage others to take care around unpredictable animals.
Celia Massie-Bertei was riding her motorbike along Pooley Road, Nar Nar Goon North, on Wednesday 4 October about 11am when she saw a horse rider approaching from the opposite direction.
While not a horse owner herself, Ms Massie-Bertei knew how volatile the animals could be in unfamiliar situations, and shut off her bike as to not scare the horse.
“My family has always stopped for horses, so I got off my bike to let the rider past,” Ms Massie-Bertei said.
However, a motorcyclist coming up the dirt road from behind the horse, did not, and spooked the animal, throwing its 60-plus year old owner from the saddle.
“It was pretty bloody awful. The guy ended up in a bad state,” Ms Massie-Bertei said.
“He was a mess, his face was a mess.”
The man was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in a serious condition and was due to be released from hospital sometime this week.
“I’m glad we were there, I had to think what would have happened otherwise,” Ms Massie-Bertei said.
The incident has left a shaken Ms Massie-Bertei issuing a warning to motorbike and horse riders alike.
“Wear protective gear and take care,” she said.
“People need to be aware. The horse rider had no safety gear on and it’s imperative.”
She also urged all road users to be courteous of one another and to “slow down”.
“I didn’t want to see what I saw, it’s not a nice thing to witness on a morning ride and I’d hate for it to happen again,” Ms Massie-Bertei said.
