California Highway Patrol press release: 

 

On the night of Sunday, October 15, one involved party sustained fatal injuries after a Ford F150 traveling northbound on Country Club Road, near Seeley McIntosh Road, collided into a horse being ridden by a male.

At approximately 8:13 p.m., 50 year old Timothy Robert Ulrich of Hoopa, California, was driving a 2012 Ford F150 northbound on Country Club Road, approaching Seeley McIntosh Road.  At the same time, 67 year old Kenneth Wayne Brock, of Willow Creek, California, was riding his horse southbound on the northbound side of Country Club Road along the east shoulder of the bridge.  

An unrelated vehicle was driving southbound on Country Club Road and entered the bridge as the Ford F150 drove northbound onto the bridge.  For reasons still under the investigation Ulrich observed the approaching vehicle but did not observe the white horse that was walking along the east side of the bridge.  Ulrich suddenly observed the horse and turned his pickup to the left in an attempt to avoid a collision.  This evasive action was unsuccessful and the front right of the pickup collided into the right shoulder and side of the horse.  This resulted in the rider (Brock) being ejected from the horse.  The horse was deceased immediately and Brock had sustained major injuries from the impact with the bridge.  Brock was transported to Mad River Community Hospital for medical treatment where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Ulrich was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision and DUI is not believed to be a factor.  The CHP Humboldt Area office is investigating this traffic collision.