Two runaway horses pulling an unmanned carriage smashed head-on into a Police car yesterday.

One horse suffered a gaping wound after ploughing through the windshield.

Earlier, tourists narrowly escaped unhurt as the horses bolted through the streets of St. George's.

The driver -- knocked down by the animals after stepping off his carriage -- gave chase in a car.

And Police, alerted as the animals galloped several miles, also tried to stop the carriage. But the drama ended with the collision.

Carriage driver Charles Warren said he was distressed by the incident.

"I'm very upset about it because I like horses very much,'' he told The Royal Gazette .

Mr. Warren, 57, a regular horse and carriage driver in St. George's, said he got out of his carriage briefly after 10 a.m. at the top of Barrack Hill en route from Bronco Corral stables, Barry Road.

He was unsure why the horses suddenly bolted and took off down the road.

But he suspected that a bus pulled out of the bus stop at Top Square, and possibly a truck darted in the opposite direction, frightening horses Jack and Big Red.

"I think there was a truck. I'm not too sure,'' said a shaken Mr. Warren.

"I tried to stop them and they knocked me down. I held them by the reins and everything.

Chaos as horses bolt "We were in the car trying to catch them. I was shaken up and I was really afraid of someone getting hurt.

"The Lord was with us that no one got hurt coming at that speed. I mean they were really travelling.

Police received a report that the horse and carriage was running from the direction of King's Square towards Mullet Bay -- and that it could be a danger to the public.

The horses reportedly galloped several miles to the junction of Mullet Bay and Ferry Reach roads before Police travelling in the opposite direction spotted the runaway carriage and tried to stop it. Instead the Police car collided with the carriage and one of the horses plummeted through the windscreen feet first. His chest and muzzle were badly cut.

"I saw him (the horse) laying on top of the car for quite a while until we got him down,'' said Mr. Warren.

None of the officers was hurt by the 1,500-1,600-pound horse.

Visitors from New Hampshire, Dr. Thomas Heck, his wife Karla, and their friends saw the horses dash past them just before they boarded a bus in front of St. George's Liquors, York Street.

Mrs. Heck said they watched the horses bolt off into the distance towards Ferry Reach and wondered where they were going. Dr. Heck, a vet, jumped out of his seat immediately and ran to the front of the bus as it rounded the corner near Ferry Reach. He saw the horse lying across the front of the car.

He said: "We were riding along in a bus and saw the horse laying on top of the car and thought there was a problem.

"He was laying on top of the vehicle with one leg through the windshield.'' Mrs. Heck said everyone on the bus was shocked. She yelled to the driver "Stop the bus!''.

The driver stopped the bus, and her husband informed passengers that he was a vet, Mrs. Heck said.

Dr. Heck helped Police try to remove the horse from the car. And he helped stabilise the animal.

The couple's friends Rodney and Liane Kerbyson patted the horse to help calm him once he was on his feet again.

Mrs. Kerbyson said: "We didn't actually touch the horse at first, but we were rooting for him. It's a pretty sad sight.'' Bermuda SPCA Inspector Charles Whited heard about the incident over the radio.

He said: "Both horses appear to be stable. The horse that went through the windscreen of the Police car received a laceration to his chest and muzzle.

Both injuries appear to be superficial, but will require stitches to close the wounds.

"After a bit of rest I would imagine the horses should be fine. None of the injuries is life threatening.'' Last night, Jack was back at Bronco Corral stable resting after being tended to by vet Dr. George Heslop.

Dr. Heslop said: "He's a very lucky horse being as how he put his front feet through the windshield and was on top of the hood. He only got away with a few cuts to his chest and nose.'' He added that the plan to stitch the horse up in the more familiar surroundings of the stable was laid to rest when the bridge got stuck and the trailer did not get there in time. Instead, Dr. Heslop stitched up the horse at the side of the road.

Traffic was blocked on both sides of Swing Bridge yesterday for 40 minutes when it failed to close after allowing a boat to pass. Works and Engineering fixed the bridge.