Semitruck Wreck Kills 10 Horses, Including Offspring of Triple Crown Winner

2 min read

In the early morning hours of June 7, 2020, ten racehorses were killed in a fiery tractor-trailer crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. One of the horses was sired by 2015 Triple Crown Winner, American Pharoah, and another was sired by Tonalist, the winner of the 2015 Belmont Stakes. The trailer was transporting the ten horses from Florida (where they spent the winter) to the famed Saratoga Springs stables in New York.

The trailer caught fire after striking the center divider near East Windsor township, according to New Jersey State Police officials. While the driver and a passenger escaped serious injuries, all of the horses perished. Nine of the ten horses died as a result of their injuries, while the tenth horse was euthanized by a veterinarian on scene.

The horses’ trainer, Christopher Clement, issued a statement saying “We understand both drivers were admitted to hospital, and that all horses have passed. We are all devastated by the news and heartbroken – we are working to understand what happened.” Clemente is a highly successful trainer, winning the 2014 Belmont Stakes with Tonalist and earning over $127 million in purse winnings over 25 years as a trainer, according to his website.

The collision occurred less than three miles from where a Walmart tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a luxury van carrying a group that included the comedian Tracy Morgan on June 7, 2014. Mr. Morgan suffered serious injuries in the crash, which killed James McNair, a comedian known as Jimmy Mack. The truck driver had been awake for 28 hours before the accident injuring Mr. Morgan and was driving 20 miles per hour over the 45 m.p.h. speed limit in a work zone on the turnpike, the National Transportation Safety Board found.

Here at the Poppe Law Firm^®, we represent clients who are injured or have suffered substantial loss in car accidents and truck wrecks. If you or a family member have suffered serious injuries or loss in a truck accident, please do not hesitate to contact us.