An impatient Volvo driver rolled their vehicle after trying to pass a horse rider on a narrow country road.
Stacey Chapman, from Ryarsh village in Kent, had been riding her 14-year-old mare Revuelo when a gold Volvo tried to overtake the car in front rather than waiting for the horse to pass.
As the Volvo zoomed past the waiting car, it skidded off the country lane and flipped onto its side.
In fright, Stacey’s horse then bolted down the hill towards oncoming traffic which left her ‘shaking all over’.
She said: ‘It could have killed me. I’ve had cars whip past me and slam their brakes on before and you almost accept that, but this was much worse.’
Police have said they are still investigating the crash.
An impatient Volvo driver ended up on its side after trying to overtake an oncoming VW rather than waiting for a 14-year-old mare to pass
The Volvo skidded on the narrow road and ended up on its side, with a smashed windscreen
The Volvo flipped on its side during the dangerous manoeuvre at which point Stacey’s horse bolted down the hill towards incoming traffic
The incident happened when Stacey was riding her horse on Holly Hill, in Snodland, on October 23.
Recalling the ordeal she said: ‘I had been riding for 40 minutes and as we were climbing a narrow, steep country lane, a dark Kia overtook us slowly and with a wide berth.
‘The Kia continued up the hill with me directly behind, where a black VW had stopped waiting to come down the hill.
‘Out of nowhere came a gold Volvo. It overtook the waiting car heading directly towards us.
‘He then tried to pass the Kia but instantly mounted the bank. At this point, I was shouting and screaming ‘no, no, no. Stop stop stop.’
‘I could see he was going to tip. It happened so quickly. At no stage did he slow, stop or try to reverse – it was all one fluid movement.
‘I heard the revving of his engine and his tyres crunching and slipping…clearly he was still trying to force his way through.’
Stacey said: ‘I genuinely feared for my life as I couldn’t pull my horse up. She was galloping full-pelt down slippery tarmac but thankfully she slowed and stopped at the sight of oncoming cars. Me and my horse were shaking all over’
At that moment Stacey’s horse bolted down the hill towards incoming traffic.
She said: ‘My horse started to run backwards and the car then flipped. I didn’t see anymore as the awful noise of crunching metal and smashing glass happened.
‘My mare reared and spun to bolt in flight mode.
‘I heard the car land as she was bolting down the steepest part towards oncoming traffic.
‘I genuinely feared for my life as I couldn’t pull my horse up. She was galloping full-pelt down slippery tarmac but thankfully she slowed and stopped at the sight of oncoming cars.
‘Me and my horse were shaking all over.’
The incident happened when Stacey was riding her horse on Holly Hill, in Snodland, on October 23
She claimed the Volvo driver was ‘rather nonchalant’ about the incident and just said ‘sorry it was an accident’.
She said: ‘The Kia driver’s young daughter, who were around four and six, were screaming and in severe shock.
‘They kept repeating ‘we thought we were going to die’ and were both pale-white and shaking.’
‘Only because someone was looking down on us did I stay on and my horse not slip and break her legs while fleeing downhill.
‘He didn’t even listen to my screams telling him to stop…he just revved his engine more.’
Stacey said: ‘Both of us haven’t been out on the road since the accident. Revuelo actually got severe whiplash through her left shoulder’
She added: ‘I was a nervous wreck. I want to make people aware of just how little room there is on country roads and the reaction of horses when they spook or bolt. It can be devastating or fatal.’
Stacey sustained serious injuries to her back and shoulders, which have required physiotherapy.
‘Both of us haven’t been out on the road since the accident. Revuelo actually got severe whiplash through her left shoulder’, she said.
The British Horse Society advises all drivers to be patient, slow down to 15mph and leave at least a car’s width between their vehicle and horse when passing.
Alan Hiscox, the director of safety at the British Horse Society, said: ‘This incident is absolutely shocking, I wish the rider and horse a speedy recovery.
‘Unfortunately, incidents like this are far too common, riders face a very real threat when they are out on our roads.
‘We are asking all drivers adhere to our Dead Slow message and slow right down when they encounter a horse on a road, passing only when it’s safe to do so at an absolute maximum of 15mph and leaving at least a car width between them and the horse.’
A spokesman for Kent Police said: ‘Police was called at 12.44pm on Monday 23 October 2017 to reports of a collision involving two vehicles on Holly Hill, Snodland. A horse and rider were also at the scene.
‘Officers are conducting ongoing enquiries.’