One human and one horse are dead today after dozens of the equine beasts escaped a farm near Newmarket, Ontario, causing chaos in the Township of King.

York Regional Police first reported that 20 to 30 horses were creating a road hazard on Davis Drive, east of Bathurst, just before 3 a.m. on Friday.

Minutes later, police announced that Davis Drive had been closed between Jane and Keele for a motor vehicle collision, prompting some online to wonder if the two incidents might be related. 

They were.

#BREAKING: York Regional Police confirm one person has died following a collision between a vehicle and an escaped horse on Davis Drive east of Keele in #Newmarket. Story: https://t.co/stpd4I0t7W pic.twitter.com/odfkgtb8At

— Kyle Hocking (@HockCityNews) November 11, 2022

Police in York Region confirmed in a news release on Friday afternoon that a 60-year-old man had died as a result of a collision between a grey Toronto Corolla and a horse in the Davis and Keele area.

"When officers arrived at the scene, they learned that several horses from a nearby farm had gotten loose onto Davis Drive," reads the release. 

"The Toyota Corolla struck a horse on the road and then hit a culvert, causing the driver to be ejected from the vehicle."

Both the driver and one horse were found deceased at the scene. Police say that all remaining horses were "collected and returned to the farm" from which they had escaped.

But not before they could make a bit of a scene strolling through a suburban neighbourhood.

New video shows the dozens of #horses that were on the loose near the scene of a serious vehicle #rollover in #Newmarket Friday morning. pic.twitter.com/JMP6Ftc5hv

— FusionMedia (@FusionMediaCA) November 11, 2022

Investigators with York Regional Police are currently seeking witnesses who may have more information about the fatal collision.

"Any witnesses who have not yet spoken with police, or anyone who may have dashcam footage of the collision, are being asked to please come forward," say police.

"York Regional Police is asking anyone with information to contact the Major Collision Investigation Unit by calling 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7704, or to call Crime Stoppers anonymously."

Davis Drive, closed between Bathurst and Keele for the investigation, reopened around 12:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon.