Three upper level eventing horses ridden by international rider Michael Pollard have died and three others are under treatment for injuries sustained during an early morning traffic accident on May 25.

Pollard’s spokeswoman Chris Stafford said the incident occurred at 7 a.m. on Hwy. 255 just south of Chatsworth, Ga., a few miles from the Pollard Eventing Training Center in Dalton, Ga. The horses were being transported from Georgia to Kentucky for routine veterinary checks, Stafford said. Law enforcement and fire personnel from Murray County, Ga., along with Georgia State Police responded at the scene.

A Georgia State Police spokesman said the incident occurred when the driver of another vehicle, Roberto Hernandez, failed to yield to the tractor trailer driven by groom Natalie Hummel. Hernandez was cited for failure to yield at a roadway intersection, the spokesperson said. Stafford said that to her knowledge, Hummel was not ticketed in connection with the incident.

One horse, VDL Ulando H, died at the scene, Stafford said, while five others were cut free from the damaged trailer and initially survived the incident