WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Winter Haven Police Department (WHPD) provided details on how a routine of feeding neighboring horses ended in tragedy.
The incident happened just before 2 p.m. on Feb. 5 when WHPD received a call about a person being in the middle of a field next to the Lucerne Lakeside Mobile Home Park on Lucerne Park Road.
Officers arrived on scene to an unresponsive person lying in the field with two horses nearby.
The woman had visible injuries to her face and torso, according to police.
She was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.
An autopsy report reveals she died from "blunt-force trauma to her body with the injuries consistent to being trampled by a large animal, such as a horse," per police.
Winter Haven investigators discovered she frequently fed the horses of one of the residents in the area.
Police said investigators found no evidence of foul play.
"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this beloved woman who cared so much to interact and feed these horses," said Police Chief Vance Monroe. "This was a terribly tragic accident and we will pray for those she has left behind."
Police said the owner of the horses responded to the scene and cooperated with the investigation.
How journalists battle the rise of AI fake news
As News Literacy Week kicks off in partnership with Scripps News, Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska sat down with fact-checkers at PolitiFact to learn how they combat misinformation in the age of AI.
