Public Safety · Rowan County
3 Hospitalized After Tree Limb Startles Horses at Lazy 5 Ranch
Three passengers were hospitalized Saturday, Oct. 17, after a tree limb fell and struck a horse-drawn wagon at Lazy 5 Ranch in Rowan County, North Carolina, causing the horses to jump and toss riders off. EMS transported the injured to local hospitals for evaluation; remaining passengers were unharmed or declined medical assistance, and the wagon driver was reported to be doing well. Ranch officials said the horses were evaluated, found unharmed, and returned to work. This marks the first incident requiring overnight hospitalization among more than three million guests at the family-run exotic-animal attraction since it opened in 1993.