WHITTIER, Calif. – A person riding a horse through traffic in the city of Whittier while refusing to stop for officers was arrested on suspicion of DUI after a short pursuit, police said.
The uniquely strange “pursuit” was described by the Whittier Police Department on social media as the agency said the horseback rider was “galloping through traffic” and refusing to “pull the horse over.”
The behavior of the rider led officers to engage in an unusual chase. The suspect eventually surrendered and was taken into custody. The unidentified rider is expected to be charged with DUI, reported KTLA.
For inquiring minds who want to know, the California Vehicle Code says that people riding an animal on dedicated roadways are “subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle … except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.”
As a result, an impaired equine rider is subject to the same rules as the driver of a motor vehicle. That means the legal blood alcohol limit (BAC) – whether on horseback or behind the wheel – would be the same at 0.08%.
The agency said the horse was taken to the Whittier Police Department where it “received lots of love” from employees.
Police did not specify where the “DUI” took place, although one Instagram follower provided a few details.
“OMG! I saw him going so fast down Magnolia!”
Some additional entertaining Instagram comments included:
“Galloping Under the Influence (GUI) … now that’s horsepower.”
“Looks like they hoofed it back to the station.”
“Does he pick up the horse from the impound lot?”
“Just when you think you’ve heard everything.”
Whittier has a population of about 87,000 people and is located approximately 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
