It’s still unclear what caused a horse trailer to flip on the H-1 freeway Sunday, resulting in the death of a five year-old gelding.The accident is eerily similar to one that happened in 2003 less than a mile away.
"When I first heard about it -- you know -- that's all that came back to me,” said horse owner and artist, Patrick Ching.
News of the death of a young horse on the H-1 Freeway hit artist Patrick Ching hard.
"I know the people that loved the horse raised the horse are just going through ah...I know what they're going through,” said Ching.
He knows the owners and knows what they're going through.
In 2003, his horse Sunny was killed in the same area after a motorcycle blasted past the trailer Sunny was riding in.
Sunny was startled by the loud burst and jumped over the top of the uncovered trailer.
Efforts to save him failed.
Ching was on the Big Island when the accident occurred.
"You go into the disbelief for awhile and then of course asking yourself what could have been done different,” said Ching.
Several months after Sunny's death the city council passed a law to protect horses in transport, requiring covered trailers when horses are on public roadways.
The Hawaiian Humane Society says the horse trailer that overturned Sunday was not covered. The organization says police have cited the owners of the horse for transporting a horse in an illegal trailer and not having a license plate for the trailer. The Hawaiian Humane Society says that amounts to about $130 in fines.
"Economy is pressuring all of us and we might skimp here or there so I'd say just really make sure your equipment is good and go as slow as you can and try and get somebody to drive behind you,” said Ching.
It's been nearly eight years since Sunny died.
"I painted Sunny and his mom Ilima in one of my favorite places in the polo field in Waimanalo where they used to graze and run around -- and that's picture that will live way past -- their lives times and my life time,” said Ching.
Ching says he still doesn't blame the motorcycle rider or driver of the truck for Sunny's death and hopes his friends will find a way to get past their grief someday as well.
"I'm sure they had a lot of good times with that horse and I hope they focus more on that,” said Ching.
