Frightened pony smacks into squad car

A free-roaming pony raced into a parked police car on the Southside this morning, damaging the car, but apparently escaping injury itself.

The pony was one of two that had escaped from a farm on the 4200 block of Bluff Road and had been darting in and out of traffic just after midnight.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Agresta parked his squad car at a gas station on Bluff Road to investigate. When Agresta and Officer Mikola Layton walked across the street to the edge of the woods where the ponies were standing, the ponies got agitated and began running toward the gas station at a “fast speed,” according to Agresta’s report.

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A tan pony ran straight toward the squad car. It tried to stop but slid across the parking lot “while sparks were flying off its hooves,” according to the report. The pony slid into the car’s front bumper, leaving skid marks on the pavement, then ran back to private property with the other horse.

The squad car’s left front bumper, door and headlights were damaged.

The owner, 77-year-old Romona Carter, told police the ponies were insured.

The ponies are about two years old and neither was hurt, Carter said.

“It think it just brushed the police car though the officer told us there was this damage,” Carter said.

She said a gate was left open and the horses ran through it.

“If they’re not in the yard, they can get a little crazy with people they don’t know,” she said.