TWO road traffic incidents took place at exactly the same spot on Dartmoor in the space of 24 hours — one involving the tragic death of a pony.

Witnesses described seeing a pony thrown high into the air in the collision close to a 40mph flashing speed sign on the Dousland to Princetown road.

The car believed to be involved in the incident at about 10pm on Saturday night (June 1) was later found abandoned nearby.

Police are investigating the incident with a view to pressing charges.

The horse did not die on impact after being hit from behind, despite suffering a snapped back leg and mass impact to its right thigh.

A family who witnessed the incident stayed with the animal until it died.

It followed another collision earlier that day, just after midnight, in exactly the same spot. It saw the rider of a motorbike sustain multiple injuries, thought to be life-changing, after reportedly narrowly missing a horse.

Dartmoor livestock protection officer Karla McKechnie was called out to the incident on Saturday evening, the fourth collision injuring livestock on the moor she has attended in a week.

She had to put down another foal which was found seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle on a minor road near Sampford Spiney last Thursday (May 30). Earlier in the week a calf was killed in a collision with a lorry at Cadover Bridge and on the same day a foal had its leg broken in a collision with a vehicle on the road between Lee Moor and Cornwood.

‘People need to slow down,’ said Karla. ‘At this time of the year there are young stock around and they do wander on to the roads.

I’m on call 24-hours a day and I would say to people if you do hit an animal or see an animal in distress, phone me so I can get help to that animal, regardless of what has happened. Do the right thing, whether it is a foal or calf or another animal, and let’s get help to it as soon as we can.’

PC Nathan Brennan, the officer dealing with the incident on Saturday in which the pony was killed, said the 40mph speed flasher sign at that spot on the Dousland to Princetown road was there for a reason.

‘It is a recognised hot spot for speeding vehicles and incidents involving animals on Dartmoor,’ he said.

Karla added: ‘This is the fourth time I have been called in the last six weeks about incidents on this road. This road is probably the worst on Dartmoor for collisions with all livestock. This is a regular occurrence.’

Special Sergeant rural crime officer Adam Bush said: ‘We continue to work closely with the Dartmoor National Park Authority, local communities and Devon Highways to reduce the likelihood of road traffic collision casualties for both humans and livestock.’

He said that despite the speed limit being set at 40mph it was not always the most appropriate speed due to changing weather and animals who will walk into the path of oncoming vehicles with little or no warning.

Karla McKechnie can be contacted on 07873 587561.

The pictures show the fatally injured horse and (inset) the flashing speed sign at the collision site .