Horse dies after trailer rolls on M27's eastbound carriageway near Cadnam, leaving it trapped inside

A HORSE has died after being trapped inside a horsebox which overturned on the eastbound carriageway of the M27 near Cadnam this morning (Wednesday), closing it off for over five hours.

It was one of two animals being carried in the trailer towed by car when the incident took place around 10.10am between J1 for Cadnam and J2 for Ower. The other had escaped but was soon secured and sedated by a vet.

Also sedated, the trapped horse was freed in a "complex" operation carried out by fire crews from Ringwood, Redbridge and Eastleigh, together with animal rescue specialists from Lyndhurst and Winchester, aided by a manitou folklift truck.

Both animals were then assessed by the vet before being loaded into horseboxes, but the one released from the wrecked trailer did not recover and passed away.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service station manager Tim Harrison said: "The risk posed to motorists by horses on a motorway is significant and this, along with a complex animal rescue, led to this being a challenging incident to deal with.

"We were able to use a manitou forklift to get the horse in the trailer back on its feet, but it sadly never recovered."

Paramedics assessed the car driver, but no injuries were reported.

There were heavy delays after police closed the section of carriageway while the incident was being dealt with, although traffic was allowed to slowly pass the scene.

Officers advised drivers to leave the motorway at Cadnam, and long tailbacks were reported stretching about five miles along the A31 to Stoney Cross. Traffic was also said to have been moving very slowly along the A35 towards Lyndhurst as a result of the incident.

The closure was lifted around 3.30pm, once the horsebox and car had been recovered, and the delays were said to have been easing.