A widower, father-of-one police officer died when the car he was travelling in collided with a horse on the motorway.
Edgar Manuel Gallardo and another man were in the SUV when the horror unfolded.
They were returning from reuniting a lost child with their family when the animal suddenly crossed their path.
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Its head shattered the windscreen and sent glass shards flying into Gallardo’s face and chest.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the stretch of highway between Toyucito and Campo de Carabobo, west of Caracas, Venezuela.
When they arrived, they found both Gallardo, 48, and the horse dead, as reported by Need To Know.
Dead horse crashed into the car. (Picture: Jam Press)
The SUV was mangled beyond repair and its interior was spattered with blood, in the early hours of Saturday (22 Mar).
The responders took his wounded colleague – children’s welfare official Jesús Dionel Valladares Buendía – to a hospital in Acarigua.
He suffered multiple injuries.
Gallardo was a chief officer with the Portuguesa State Police and was stationed in San Rafael de Onoto.
He had lost his wife last year and was the sole carer for his young daughter, according to local media.
The San Rafael de Onoto Police Station said in a statement: “We express our deepest condolences for the loss of our esteemed comrades-in-arms.
“In moments like these, mutual support among all of us is essential to cope with the pain and honour the memory of those who dedicated their lives to the service and protection of our municipality.”
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