by Daniel Duric, for the Newport Dispatch

BROWNINGTON — A car struck a horse on VT Route 5A late Friday night after several horses were found standing on or near the roadway, according to Vermont State Police.

The collision was reported at 9:51 p.m. on June 5 on Willoughby Lake Road, south of Pepin Road.

State police said Dean Burns, 66, of Woodbury was traveling south when his 2013 Chevrolet Impala struck one of the horses.

Burns and a passenger were not injured. The vehicle sustained major damage to the hood, windshield and roof. Ray’s Towing was dispatched to remove it from the roadway.

The horse suffered fatal injuries and was euthanized at the scene, according to state police.

The horses’ owners arrived and told responders the animals had broken out of a containment fence.

The remaining horses were gathered and returned to the property. Vermont State Police, Orleans Ambulance and Orleans Fire Department responded to the scene.