OBX wild horse killed by car

COROLLA, N.C. - One of Corolla's famous wild horses was hit and killed by a car. Officials say the driver never even stopped to see if the horse was okay.

There's no question the main attraction on the north end of the Outer Banks is the wild horses.

"To see a horse in the wild is an experience in itself," said John Ernst. "For us from New Jersey, horses don't live out on the beach."

Ernst rented a Jeep and drove through the sound just to get a glimpse and a picture.

"It's kind of surprising that horses do live out here in the wild," added Ernst.

But Tuesday, there was one less horse running around.

"It's awful. How could you do that? Hopefully it was an accident and somebody wasn't careless and reckless about it, but if they hit it and knew it and left it, it's an awful thing."

Officials say two weeks ago a stallion was hit by a car late at night on the beach. The driver never stopped or ever called for help.

"I would have a hard time believing that you could hit a full sized horse and not know that you did that," said Karen McCalpin, with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

The horse was found the next day struggling for his life. His injuries were so severe that he had to be put down.

"By the time we got there he was literally shaking from the effort of holding himself up...I think he knew if he went down he wouldn't be able to get back up again," added McCalpin.

There are only about 100 horses left on the Outer Banks. The Colonial Spanish Mustangs are on the nearly-extinct list. Officials say it hurts whenever one is lost.

"It's one thing if that was an accident, but you need to report it," added McCalpin. "That horse suffered needlessly."