Wrong-Way Ambulance Goes Viral at Evangeline Downs Racetrack in Louisiana

Racegoers at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino in Opelousas watched a routine Saturday night card turn into a viral “near disaster” when an Acadian Ambulance unit suddenly appeared on the inside rail, driving directly toward a field of Quarter Horses in the eighth and final race.

Eight veteran stakes horses had just broken from the gate for an 870-yard race around one turn on the one-mile oval when jockeys realized a slow-moving ambulance was coming at them on the turn. Video shows riders yanking mounts off the rail and trying to pull up, with the No. 1 horse forced to make the most dramatic move to avoid a head-on collision.

Miraculously, all horses and jockeys avoided impact, and no injuries were reported.

Race Ruled No Contest, Bets Refunded

One Fast Cajun and jockey Kody Kellenberger crossed the wire first, but because of the mid-race chaos, stewards declared the race a “no contest,” voiding the result and refunding all wagers.

Track announcer Rob Tuel admitted he did not initially realize the “flash of white” on the turn was a moving vehicle headed the wrong way, telling fans on the replay that a “track vehicle out of position” had “seriously affected some of the runners” and that officials were “thankfully” dealing with a near miss rather than a tragedy.

Acadian Ambulance Issues Statement

Acadian Ambulance, which provides standby services at Evangeline Downs, confirmed the unit was “traveling on the track to reposition” while a race was in progress and said no people or animals were injured. The company says it is working with track officials to investigate what happened and strengthen communication and protocols “to ensure this type of incident does not occur in the future.”

On social media, reactions have poured in from horse-racing insiders and casual fans. Analyst Kevin Blake called it “the most terrifying near miss I’ve ever seen in a horse race,” while Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez wrote, “Thank God horses and jockeys were safe. Unbelievable.”

Local riders and racing fans commenting on jockey Kody Kellenberger’s Facebook post described the scene as “insane,” “holy WTH” and “the craziest thing I’ve seen in a long time,” with many demanding the driver be fired and questioning why the starting gate was loaded if the ambulance wasn’t in position.

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Others pointed out that ambulances are never supposed to travel on the inside rail and wondered how so many racing officials failed to notice the unit was missing before the start.

While we've received a statement from Acadian Ambulance, there's still been no official word from Louisiana racing regulators, and track officials have yet to publicly explain how an ambulance ended up driving into oncoming horses during a live race at Evangeline Downs.

UPDATE:

According to NOLA.com, David Strow, a spokesperson for Boyd Gaming said the following:

We are committed to the safety of every jockey and equine athlete that races at our track. We are working closely with the ambulance company and the Louisiana Racing Commission to thoroughly investigate this incident.

For now, many in the horse community are simply echoing the message from Kellenberger’s original post.

“Thank God we all made it back safe.”