A rear-end accident in Coupeville left one woman aching from back pain last week.

But it was the loss of a horse that left everyone shaken.

On Oct. 20, a Oak Harbor man driving a 1992 Chevy pickup westbound on Fort Casey Road struck a horse trailer attached to a truck that had stopped for a school bus Oct. 20.

Susan Landusky, 55, of Coupeville, was driving the 2000 Ford F-350 pickup that was pulling the trailer. One of her two female passengers was transported to WhidbeyHealth Medical Center with back pain. Landusky and her other passenger escaped injuries.

But what made the scene more heartwrenching for everyone was that one horse was killed and another injured.

“It doesn’t happen all the time,” said Jerry Helm, Central Whidbey Fire & Rescue captain about responding to an incident involving a horse. “When we do, there’s usually a lot of emotion. It adds another element of complexity to the scene.

“The three (women) were pretty grief-stricken.”

Christopher Masters, 27, was cited for second-degree negligent driving, said Mark Francis, spokesperson with the Washington State Patrol, adding fatigue appeared to be involved in the cause of the accident.

A veterinarian who lived nearby, Robert Moody, also assisted with the incident, Helm said.

Central Whidbey Fire was able to divert traffic around the accident and keep one lane open.

“It was very sad,” said Carole Barnes, animal control officer with Island County. “We do live in a community where horses are a very big part and people are very passionate about owning a horse. Their animals are like their children.”