Pickup rams horse, rider after argument in Volusia, deputies say

FLORIDA -- An argument between horse riders and a pickup driver resulted in the truck killing a horse and seriously injuring the rider, deputies said.

Some people were resting their horses Sunday morning along the St. Johns River near Orange County, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Shortly before 2 a.m., a man drove a pickup into the river near the horses.

One of the horse riders approached the truck and yelled at the driver, which led to an exchange of foul language and a racial slur, deputies said.

Christopher T. Todd, 21, drove away and then allegedly accelerated, driving toward the horse riders. The truck hit a horse and its rider, 23-year-old Chloe Sloan, who was not involved in the initial confrontation, deputies said.

Sloan suffered a broken collar bone and her horse was killed.

Todd allegedly drove circles around the horse and shined his headlights into the woods, where Sloan ran for cover, deputies said. Todd then drove off.

Todd was stopped for speeding about two hours later and 33 miles away near Seville. Deputies found horse hair in the truck’s grill and the horse riders identified the truck.

Todd was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and animal cruelty. He was held at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $10,000 bond

(WESH - Feb 1, 2015)