Escaped Horses Spotted Running on Busy New York State Parkway

Drivers in New York state have to contend with plenty of wildlife already on the roads. It isn't unusual to have to dodge a deer hopping across a busy road, or even a fox, or skunk. It can occasionally make for treacherous travel. Hundreds of accidents happen every year across the state due to drivers swerving to avoid hitting various wildlife darting out in front of them.

But what about horses? According to the New York State Police, a couple of escaped horses decided to make a busy road their own personal raceway Wednesday. Troopers shared the post on their Facebook page, showing two pictures of the horses who had escaped from a nearby stable on the Northern State Parkway. It looks like it turned into a bit of a team effort to lure the horses to safety.

Officials say a driver lured the two horses using rice cakes. The escapees, who apparently were hungry for a snack after their daring run, took the bait. Police say they blocked traffic for the animals' wellbeing, as their owners were able to safely walk them home. Neither the horses nor any pedestrians were injured. The post has since been shared hundreds of times across Facebook.

Sadly, a number of both wildlife and drivers are not so lucky every year, as collisions on the roads are common. Where does New York state rank for animal-related vehicle crashes?  The data put together by State Farm says drivers across the U.S. have a 1 in 116 chance of a collision with an animal,  on average. The company estimates there were over 1.9 million animal collision insurance claims between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019.

What state topped the study? West Virginia, where you have a 1 in 37 chance of colliding with an animal. Neighboring Pennsylvania ranked third, where there's a 1 in 51 chance. New York was 33rd, with a 1 in 130 chance.  Also, Massachusetts is 27th, at 1 in 107. New Jersey is 36th, at 1 in 155. Connecticut was 42nd, with there's a 1 in 211 chance you'll be in an animal-related auto crash.