SHOCKING footage which has gone viral shows horses being raced on the A127 with one crashing in to the central reservation.

The worrying video also shows a car striking a stray horse on the busy dual carriageway.

Echo:

Shocking - the 'race' on a stretch of the A127

The footage - taken from the view point of a car following an illegal pony-and-trap race on Tuesday afternoon - has been viewed more than 100,000 times and shows two horses speeding along a section of A127.

The video ends as one of the horses veers off the road and collides at speed with the central reservation, sending both the rider and horse careering into the air.

Essex Police has also confirmed officers dealt with reports of a car crashing into two stray horses on the A127 near the Wickford turn off at roughly 1.40am yesterday morning.

It is unclear whether the two incidents are linked with Essex Police unable to provide details on the alleged racing or whether they had received any reports of it.

The horse hit on the A127 was “brought to safety” by police.

The wife of the driver involved, who asked not to be named, said: “He hit one of the horses and then as he swerved he also hit a van behind one of the horses.

“Our car is very badly damaged, but we are lucky he is not badly hurt.

“He is lucky he is alive, and probably lucky he was only doing 45mph. If he had been doing 70 it could be very different.

“He is badly shaken up but I think he will be okay.

“You do wonder what on earth is going on when you have horses on a road like that.


“It is very dark along there and my husband had no chance.

“Where do these horses come from? Shouldn’t you have to microchip your horse like you do your pet?”

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We were called to reports of two horses loose on the A127 near Baildon shortly before 1.40am on Wednesday.”

“Officers attended and the horses were brought to safety.”

Call police on 101.