'It breaks my heart that she had such a cruel end': Shrewsbury woman seriously injured when her horse was killed by a car calls for road safety measures
A Shrewsbury horse rider who suffered serious injuries after she was thrown across the road when a car collided with her horse is calling for improved road safety measures.
Sophia Bradley was walking beside her horse, Ava, in October 2024 when a car struck the horse from behind on the B4380 in Shrewsbury.
The impact caused Sophia to be thrown across the carriageway. Sadly, Ava suffered fatal injuries.
Sophia, who lives near Shrewsbury, sustained scarring and psychological injury. The 32-year-old remained at the scene and called for help. A vet attended shortly afterwards, but Ava’s injuries were too severe and she was humanely euthanised at the scene.
Now, following a recent parliamentary debate calling for stronger protection for horse riders and their horses on UK roads, Sophia is speaking out about the lasting physical and psychological impact of the collision and to highlight the vulnerability of riders.
While Sophia’s physical injuries were fortunately limited, the emotional trauma has been significant. She experienced nightmares and flashbacks after the incident and struggled with anxiety when walking along pavements, either alone or with her family. She also lost confidence in driving.
Sophia said: “If it could happen when I was with my horse, it could happen at any time.”
Following the collision in 2024, Sophia instructed expert serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help her access the specialist rehabilitation and psychological therapies she required.
Cathryn Godfrey, the serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Sophia, is a horse rider herself and gave evidence to MPs involved in the recent debate. She said: “Unfortunately, collisions involving horse riders on the road happen far too often.
“British Horse Society figures show that in 2024 alone, 3,118 incidents were reported, including 58 horse fatalities, 97 equine injuries and 80 human injuries.
“As well as severe physical injuries, the psychological impact of these incidents can be profound. Many riders experience flashbacks, nightmares and anxiety, and some never return to riding at all.
“Ava was a huge part of Sophia’s life and nothing can undo what happened. However, we are pleased to be supporting Sophia through this difficult time and have secured the rehabilitation she needs to help get her life back on track.”
Irwin Mitchell secured Sophia an undisclosed settlement to fund her ongoing care and any treatment she needed.
With specialist treatment, Sophia has been able to return to driving and walking as a pedestrian, although she remains more cautious. She has also returned to riding and now owns another horse, Grayson.
Access to off-road riding facilities remains extremely limited, meaning many riders are forced to use roads to reach bridleways. Although Sophia was able to move her horse Grayson to stables closer to her home in order to avoid using roads, that has come at a significant financial cost, including increased livery fees, travel time and expenses.
Sophia said: “Grayson is a lovely horse, but he will never replace Ava.
“It was horrifying to know that Ava was in pain and frightened, and that there was nothing I could do to help her. I don’t know if I’ll ever truly recover from the experience.
“I’ll never forget her. She was my companion and it breaks my heart that she had such a cruel end.
“Horse riding has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, but this has changed me. Every time I get on a horse now, there’s a constant fear in the back of my mind that something could go wrong.
“That fear has seeped into all aspects of my life. Even getting into a car or walking along a pavement makes me feel nervous and anxious.”
'The thought of riding on the road causes me real concern'
Cathryn’s expertise was referenced during the recent parliamentary debate after she shared her experience representing riders who have been seriously and life-changingly injured in road traffic collisions. She also works closely with the British Horse Society on road safety education and is a trustee of the Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund.
Cathryn is now calling for improved protection for horse riders on UK roads. Despite wearing high visibility clothing and complying with the Highway Code, Sophia was still involved in a collision that could easily have been fatal.
Cathryn added: “These cases highlight the urgent need for greater awareness and stronger protections for horse riders.
“This debate is close to my heart. As a former horse owner and rider, I regularly used public roads to access bridleways around Leeds, often on single carriageways with 60mph speed limits. During that time, I experienced frequent near misses, with vehicles passing too closely or too quickly, sometimes with oncoming traffic approaching.
“Even now, as an occasional rider, the thought of riding on the road causes me real concern. My children also rode for a time, and during supervised rides I witnessed dangerous driving behaviour, including motorists overtaking too closely or pulling into the line of horses. These situations posed clear risks to both the children and the adults leading them on foot.
“Mr Lee Dillon MP also raised these issues during the debate, enabling me to highlight the psychological trauma riders often experience, including the overwhelming guilt and grief that the horse bears the impact of a collision.
“We urge the Government to listen carefully to the debate on the Road Traffic (Horse and Rider Safety) Bill and to ensure that rider safety is properly and urgently addressed.”
