Harness-racer dies in accident at the Meadows racetrack
Ohio man thrown from sulky in chain-reaction crash
Courtesy of Chris Gooden
A driver in a harness race at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows horse track died hours after he was thrown from his sulky and struck his head on the track Wednesday afternoon.
Hunter Myers was in the 11th race with Always B Royalty about 4:30 p.m. when another horse in the race appeared to break stride, causing a chain-reaction crash that threw Myers backwards and onto the track.
Medics tended to Myers, 27, on the track for what appeared to be a head injury, and he was taken by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment. He died early Thursday morning from his injuries, according to family members who posted on social media. No information was released by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office as of Thursday afternoon.
The 12th and 13th races at the North Strabane casino track were canceled Wednesday following the incident. Other drivers suffered minor injuries, but none of the horses were hurt in the incident.
According to a Facebook video highlighting his career in early February, Myers raced nearly 20,000 times and won nearly 2,400 times during his career. The Williamsport, Ohio, native had been involved in harness racing since he was 16 years old, according to a story published by Daily Racing Form.
The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association said Myers leaves behind a fiancee, Chloe, and young son, Hayden.
“Hunter was a young star and was taken too early from us,” the OHHA said in a statement.
The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y., also shared its condolences to the Myers family and his fellow harness racers.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Hunter Myers, and send our thoughts and prayers to the entire Western Pennsylvania and Ohio harness racing communities as they navigate this tragic loss,” the organization wrote in a statement.
Wednesday’s accident was the first death at the track in the 62 years of racing at the Meadows. Hollywood Casino at The Meadows and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association issued a joint statement, offering their “most sincere condolences and heartfelt prayers” to the family and friends of Myers.
“Hunter was a rising star in our industry,” they said in their statement. “The Meadows racing community, and the entire harness racing industry, are deeply saddened by this tragic event.”
The races on Thursday and Friday were canceled and it was not known when racing would resume at the track.
It was not known if North Strabane police were investigating the accident at the casino racetrack. A phone call to township Public Safety Director Mark Grimm was not immediately returned Thursday.