Driver strikes Milwaukee horse drawn carriage; horse okay

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who slammed into a carriage. The horse is okay. 

The incident occurred Sunday night, May 27th near 1st and Seeboth in Milwaukee.

Police are now searching for the driver who hit and damaged the carriage. The man driving the carriage was traveling south on 1st Street, getting ready to turn onto Seeboth when a car slammed into the back of the carriage, throwing the carriage driver from the carriage.

The Percheron horse named Smokey left the scene and returned to the area near his stable a short distance away.

The owner of Milwaukee Coach & Carriage says his carriage driver went to the hospital with cuts and scrapes, but he's okay. One witness says he believes Smokey may have saved the carriage driver's life.

"It was frightening. I think the horse really did break the fall for him," Scott Campbell said.

One witness said the car's driver got out of the car before fleeing the scene. "Just to see the carriage and then somebody actually get out of the car, look at the guy and drive off -- that's not right," Cody Hawk said.

Police don't have a suspect, but a witness tells them the driver was in a green vehicle.

Neighbors say people drive too fast in the area, and Campbell said he's disappointed the driver fled the scene.

"It was really concerning because the person actually took off. That, to me, just seems like the way some people are in society today. It's like nobody really cares anymore. It was just really sad to see someone laying there," Campbell said.

The owner of Milwaukee Coach & Carriage says this is the first time something like this has happened in the company's history. The owner says he plans to check to see if there is any surveillance video that may have captured the incident.