Horse-drawn carriage runs wild through Victoria

Witnesses told police that a tour bus bumped the horse, which made the animal buck, throwing two people from the carriage and onto the street.

A scenic horse-drawn carriage ride turned ugly for a pair of tourists and their driver Wednesday after their spooked steed ran wild through downtown Victoria.

Witnesses say the unintended thrill ride began when a tour bus bumped the horse, causing it to buck and throw two people onto the street shortly after 2 p.m.

The frightened horse then tore down the street with a screaming woman holding on for her life in the back.

“We heard screaming and we turned and saw the buggy racing down Wharf Street,” a Victoria resident told CTV News.

“It seemed like it was [going] 35, 40 kilometres an hour. It was going full speed, faster than the cars.”

The horse eventually struck a car, sending the remaining passenger onto the road before finally coming to a stop near Government and Humboldt streets.

Paramedics and ambulance personnel were called to the scene, but say none of the victims’ injuries appear serious.

It’s unclear whether the horse was hurt, and Victoria police say the circumstances surrounding the wild ride are still under investigation.