8 hurt in horse-drawn wagon ride gone wrong in Brockville

Eight people were hurt when a snowy wagon ride took a chaotic turn in Brockville, Ont., on Thursday afternoon, according to local police.

Brockville police said the incident began around 1:30 p.m. on Front Avenue, where a man was offering horse-drawn wagon rides. Police said the horses became agitated during one trip and the driver lost control.

The runaway horses pulled the wagon west, colliding with parked vehicles as they careened onto four-lane Stewart Boulevard, which connects Brockville's downtown to Highway 401. The team then swung left onto Eleanor Street where they finally became tangled in a wooded area and could be brought back under control.

Police said most of the people in the wagon were thrown from it during the incident, leaving only two on board when it finally came to a stop.

Eight people were hurt and taken to hospital by both police and paramedics, police said. None of their injuries were considered life-threatening.

"The majority of the injuries were … somewhat minor, but there were some more serious injuries where some of the passengers actually bumped their head and needed some serious attention," said Insp. Darryl Boyd, who was among the officers to respond.

The horses were not hurt, according to police.

Brockville police thanked firefighters, paramedics and citizens for offering to help during the "unfortunate incident."

Boyd said there were strong winds at the time, and police suspect it may have blown dust or grit into the horses' faces, spooking them.