Barely half an hour earlier the foal had still been frolicking boisterously at the watering trough. Now it was lying on the road, breathing shallowly and bleeding from the flank, next to its mother. The two horses were hit by a truck which came downhill at full speed. Against the light of the setting sun the driver did not notice the animals in time.
This was already the third accident within half a year. A filly was killed in the end of July, while in early April a colt had to be put down after breaking a leg in a collision with a car.
For months the majority of the wild horses have preferred a grazing area south of the highway from Aus to Lüderitz. In the afternoon they visit the drinking trough at Garub, north of the road, and in the evening they return to their grazing area. Especially at dusk, when visibility is particularly poor, it is extremely important to exercise caution.
To make things worse, the road steeply inclines from about 1,400 m above sea level at Aus to some 900 m at Garub. Truck drivers like to make good use of the push but then cannot break in time.