Dump truck spooks horse, rider critically injured

A 61-year-old professional roper suffered severe head injuries Wednesday when his 2-year-old horse spooked at the sound of an approaching Spokane County dump truck.

Richard Leroy Paulicheck, of Valleyford, was riding the cutting horse in the northbound lane of Valley Chapel Road about 11 a.m. when the dump truck and trailer loaded with asphalt approached.

Sgt. David Fray said the horse became agitated by the approaching truck. It began jumping around and bucking, Fray said.

“The driver, to his credit, tried to slow down. Just as the truck was getting stopped, the horse hit the corner of the truck,” he said.

Upon striking the back left corner of the trailer, the horse became even more agitated and threw Paulicheck to the ground. He suffered head injuries.

Paulicheck was airlifted by MedStar to a Spokane hospital, where he remained Wednesday in critical condition in the intensive care unit, Sheriff’s spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said.

The horse ran back to its home. Detective Tom Henderson checked the excited animal for injuries but found only a scuff mark, Reagan said.

The 1997 Ford dump truck is owned by Spokane County and was being driven Wednesday by 45-year-old Kraig A. Wise, a county employee. Wise “is shaken up,” Fray said. “Independent witnesses said the truck did not appear to be speeding, and it slowed down as the horse became agitated.”

Paulicheck was not wearing a helmet. A helmet “probably would have been real helpful,” Fray said. “But very few riders wear them.”

It was the second incident in a week where a horse rider suffered serious injuries after crossing paths with a vehicle. A 12-year-old boy was injured Saturday night when the horse he was riding was struck by a van near Deer Park. The Clayton boy was riding a horse being led by a man across U.S. Highway 395 when a northbound van hit the horse, killing it.

Fray said both incidents should remind riders to know their horses’ capabilities. “If your horse is skittish around traffic, you need to use good judgment about where you ride your horse,” he said. “And drivers need to do what they can do to minimize upsetting the horse.

“As a driver, you have to anticipate that you may encounter an animal or rider in the roadway.”