A HORSE was killed instantly after it became loose on the A483 and was hit by a Range Rover in the early hours of the morning.

The horse, which was kept in a field near the side of the dual carriageway, escaped onto the northbound carriageway and was struck by a driver at about 2am on December 29.

The £35,000 Range Rover was written off and the driver was lucky to escape without serious injury.

Appearing before Wrexham Magistrates Court, Gareth Wynn Kelly, 28, of Bryn Goleu, Southsea, pleaded guilty to allowing an animal to stray onto a highway.

Justin Espie, prosecuting, said the Range Rover driver was heading north on the A483 near to junction four for Rossett when the crash happened.

Mr Espie said: “The horse appeared in front of his vehicle and a collision occurred.

“The horse was killed outright and the impact caused extensive damage to the Range Rover.”

He added the horse was not insured and the driver of the Range Rover was “incredibly lucky” not to suffer severe consequences due to the crash.

Kelly, representing himself, said: “It happened at night. All the fencing was intact and I don’t know how the horse came to get on the road at that time of the morning.

”It was out of my hands because there was nothing wrong with the fencing.

“I didn’t intentionally let the horse on the road.”

Magistrates fined Kelly £400 and ordered him to pay £85 costs as well as a £40 victim surcharge.