A passenger in the carriage involved in Bermuda's fourth road fatality of the year spoke out yesterday in defence of the carriage driver and horse.

And the woman -- who asked not to be named -- said: "The horse did not trample the man, he did not die from being trampled on.'' She said her husband, mother and two daughters -- aged three years old and six weeks old -- were with her enjoying a buggy ride around Hamilton on Wednesday night when the accident happened.

Anthony Eugene Douglas was overtaking two horse and carriages when he ran into the horse pulling the carriage driven by Leroy Brangman.

He was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Eyewitnesses reported that after the collision: "The horse just freaked out -- he was just doing a dance on his head and body.'' But the female passenger said: "We were there and know the horse did not cause the man's wounds. It possibly may have stepped on him but in no way trampled him.'' She added: "In some ways it made me sad that the horse is being blamed for the man's death. The guy drove like a madman.

"I don't want to seem cold, but it definitely wasn't the horse's fault the man died. It was his reckless driving that caused his death.'' After the collision happened, said the woman, "the carriage was rocking and we were afraid the horse was going to bolt or the carriage was going to tip over.'' "It was fortunate for us that the driver got the horse under control -- that's why we were okay''.

She added that her elder daughter was very upset after the accident as she had been sitting where she saw everything happen.

"But we were lucky,'' she said, "because things could have turned out a lot differently.'' Police are still investigating the accident and spokesman P.c. Gary Venning asked anyone who saw Anthony Douglas at any time between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. to contact P.c. Russell Matthews or P.c. Carl Gibbons at 295-0011.