We left the Mobil station, said goodbye to Mono Lake and headed east across Nevada just as the sun was setting. As we entered Nye County, Nevada, we came over a hill to find plastic pieces all over the road and a car off to the side, with a guy in a yellow shirt standing around. "What was that?" We turn around and go back...

Fred had hit a horse in his little VW New Bug. With airbags, thankfully. Fred is my hero. His first thought, having been hit in the head with a horse was: "gotta get the car out of the road". So, glass in his face and with a broken hand, he pushed the car off the road. Stuck in fifth gear, he had to push, then wait for the compression to relax, then push, etc... Without this heroic effort, our little Mazda 3 would have joined his diesel Bug as a heap of plastic and metal in the road. Thankfully, no serious injuries to Fred. Broke his right hand where it lay over the steering wheel. EMT holding Fred's head, as the MOI "hit in head by horse" indicates potential cervical fractures.

Horse hits Bug - Bug gets crushed.

The scene. Fred called it in himself, before we got there. All the respondants were his friends and neighbors. Oh, except the next car to stop (after us) - an emergency room nurse and a firefighter.

The horse didn't do so well, either. Needless to say, we took it pretty easy for the next hour or so, then found a place to pull over and catch some ZZZs.