Wild horse killed by vehicle in Stagecoach

A wild horse, one of a herd that roams the Stagecoach area, was killed Thursday afternoon after it was struck by a car on Highway 50 near Leegard Avenue. The driver was not injured.

Willis Lamm, president of wild horse advocacy group Least Resistance Training Concepts, said the highway was lined with Strieter-Lites, reflectors that flash when struck by headlights, but some appeared to be damaged. The lights are intended to frighten horses away from roads.

He said the reflectors looked like they had been knocked aside by shoulder grading.

However, Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Magruder said all but one of the Strieter-Lites are in place, and the one that is down will be replaced.

He said a transportation department staffer checked the Strieter-Lites on Friday.

Magruder said the Strieter-Lites are one reason there have been fewer horse-vehicle accidents in recent years, though roundups and other factors play a part as well.

"We don't want to take complete credit because of the Strieter-Lites," he said. "We feel they are effective, but there are other factors for fewer accidents."

The herd, a group of bachelor horses, is known to locals as the Blazer band.

Lamm said that this time of year, it is not unusual for horses to try to cross the road, and usually horse advocates are contacted to herd them back into the hills.

- Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-7351.