Two horses dead after truck plunges into 9-year-old horseback rider and her guide, officials say

Two horses were killed instantly and two riders injured after a white pick-up truck plunged into the group Sunday in Southwest Ranches.

The two horseback riders — a woman and a 9-year-old girl — were transported to Memorial Regional Hospital's trauma center in Hollywood with serious injuries, according to the Davie Fire Department. Fire Battalion Chief Robert Belizaire says both are in critical condition.

Belizaire says both horses were killed on impact. The driver, James Frederick Rink, 24, was not injured.

The girl and her guide, Joy Shupnick, 62, were ejected off the horses as the Toyota Tundra careened into them. The girl was airlifted to the hospital; her guide was taken via ground transport, Fire Battalion Chief Richard Hopwood told the Miami Herald.

The driver was heading east on Griffin Road when he dropped his cellphone, according to the Davie Police Department. He got distracted and didn't see the two riders crossing the road.

The crash happened along Griffin Road near Southwest 198th Terrace. The roads were closed briefly Sunday evening as homicide investigators flooded the scene, but are now back open..

This story was originally published July 8, 2018 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Two horses dead after truck plunges into 9-year-old horseback rider and her guide, officials say."