ENFIELD — Police have closed their investigation of a collision that claimed the life of a horse earlier this month on Shaker Hill Road, saying the 68-year-old driver will not face charges.
The driver, identified in a police report as Wayne Claflin, of Enfield, crested a hill and struck the horse, which was being ridden on the edge of the road at dusk, police said. The horse and his owner, who was riding him at the time, were not wearing reflective equipment, police said.
“The evidence collected and the multiple witnesses interviewed show that visibility, road terrain, and a lack of proper safety equipment were the major factors in the crash,” Enfield Police said in a news release Thursday.
The collision, which took place around 6:20 p.m. on Oct. 16, injured rider Shelby Jaffe and killed her horse, Waffles. Jaffe had a concussion.
Sunset was around 6:04 p.m. that night. Police said Claflin was not speeding or distracted.
“The investigation showed it came to just horrible circumstances of lack of visibility,” Enfield Police Chief Roy Holland said in a phone interview. “The road terrain and the rider or horse not having any proper safety gear, any flashlights or reflective vests or reflective horse tack led to the crash.”
Cassie Medynski, owner of Wild Rose Farm, said she misspoke earlier this month when she told the Valley News that the horse and rider wore reflective gear.
The collision took place on Shaker Hill Road, between Pillsbury Street and the second entrance to Mill Street. That part of the road is lined with shrubbery.
“We don’t believe there was a place to be on the shoulder,” Holland said. “All the evidence indicates that Shelby and Waffles were in the road right near the fogline, the edge of the road, but they definitely were on the pavement.”
Claflin was coming over a crest on a small hill on Shaker Hill Road when Jaffe and Waffles were struck, Holland said.
“As a horse rider on the road they have the right to be there even though initially people thought the rider and the horse were off on the shoulder,” he said. “They weren’t. The driver did not leave the roadway. They did not hit a mailbox first.”
The investigation, which was conducted by Lt. Luke Frye and Officer Amanda Lewis, included interviews with more than 12 witnesses and a review of videos and photographs, according to Holland. In the days since, horseback riders in Enfield and beyond have been pushing for the public to become more aware of horseback riders on the road through a public campaign titled #justiceforwaffles. Last weekend, a group of horseback riders wearing shirts reading “Slow Down Pass Wide” held a memorial ride along the route that Waffles and Jaffe traveled.
Jaffe was riding Waffles back to his stable at Wild Rose Farm on Shaker Hill Road, which has two “horse crossing” signs.
State law requires motorists to give horses a wide berth and approach them cautiously.
Holland said the police department is taking riders’ concerns seriously.
“We are as a police department going to be working with some of our local equine (leaders) to do a safety campaign for both horses, bikers and walkers,” he said. “We have noticed in the last year some drivers … (have) a lack of safety in mind when it comes to sharing the road with other people.”
Shaker Hill Road is a state road, which limits what the police department can do, including adding more warning signs.
“My understanding from the state is that they have a pretty limited parameter of where and why they put up horse signs and it’s only directly in the area of the school of a facility,” Holland said. “If it was a town road, it would just be me coordinating with DPW on purchasing and putting up signs.”
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at 603-727-3221 or esauchelli@vnews.com.
Update
This story has been updated with the name of the driver.
