Man riding horse critically injured after being struck by SUV in Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - A man was critically injured after he and the horse he was riding were struck by an SUV in Southern California, authorities said.

The horse received minor injuries in the collision Friday night in Riverside, according to police Officer Ryan Railsback.

Responding officers found the rider unresponsive in the roadway with major injuries sustained in the fall from the horse, Railsback told the Riverside Press-Enterprise. The man, who was not identified, was hospitalized in critical condition.

The SUV was headed eastbound on Wells Avenue when the horse walked out in front of it, Railsback said.

It wasn’t believed the SUV was going very fast, he said. The driver of the vehicle, a 44-year-old Riverside woman, remained at the crash site and cooperated with police.

The horse was walked back to the home of its owner by a police officer with experience in working with horses, Railsback said.

The incident remains under investigation.