Maryland

Car Strikes, Kills 18-Year-Old Stallion on Assateague Island

About 300 wild ponies roam free on Assateague Island

An 18-year-old stallion was killed Tuesday evening after a driver hit it near Route 611 on Maryland's Assateague Island.

The solid bay stallion, formally named "N9BFNY" but endearingly known as Sir Gruff, was killed around 7:30 p.m., the National Park Service said.

A full investigation of the accident is ongoing, but officials are not sure if the car's speed was a factor in Sir Gruff's death.

The Park Service said Sir Gruff and his band of horses normally wandered in the areas around Tingles Island and Pine Tree backcountry, parts of the island without heavy traffic, but meandered into more developed areas near Route 611 during the summer.

The Assateague horses are a staple of Assateague Island, a 37-mile-long island along the Maryland and Virginia coasts. The Maryland section is operated by the National Park Service and the State of Maryland, while the Virginia section is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. About 300 wild horses, wandering in bands, roam the island freely.

"The National Park Service is committed to protecting the Assateague horses, now and forever," NPS wrote in a statement. "They are a treasured part of the Assateague experience."

Sir Gruff is the 19th horse to be killed on Route 611 since 1982, officials said. Another six more have been injured.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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