Family of teen injured by runaway horse at State Fair of Texas considering legal action

The family of a teenager who was hurt by a spooked police horse at the State Fair of Texas says the 17-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury and they are considering legal action.

“ It was a moment that changed me , changed my family, changed my life,” the teen’s mother, Esther Macharia, told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV.

The Macharia family, including 17-year-old Ian, were near the iconic Big Tex statue on Oct. 8 when something startled a Dallas police horse. The horse bucked off the mounted officer and injured Ian, according to the Dallas Police Department.

It’s not clear if the animal kicked or stomped him, according to WFAA.

Macharia told WFAA that her son had a seizure, and at first she thought he was dead.

“It was so scary,” she said.

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Ian has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. His family said he suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the incident, including a golf-ball-sized hematoma, WFAA reported.

The family’s attorney, Ramez Shamieh, said they don’t want something like this to happen again. The family may pursue legal action action against the State Fair of Texas and the Dallas Police Department, according to WFAA.

Shamieh Law Firm is asking anyone with video footage or information about the incident to reach out to them.

The mounted Dallas police officer was also injured after being thrown from the horse, but is recovering, the department said.

The Police Department declined to comment on whether it is reconsidering its mounted patrol program at the fair, citing “pending litigation,” according to WFAA.