Pompano Beach, FL – Driver Matt Krueger was injured on Monday night (March 18) at Pompano Park after an accident involving four horses occurred during the first race.

Krueger was piloting Persephonie and in third place midway on the backstretch when the leader, Open Skies, driven by James Hysell, suddenly went down with Krueger, Andy Shetler and Aaron Byron unable to avoid the fallen horse.

Hysell, Shetler and Byron were, subsequently, cleared to continue driving but Krueger suffered several injuries.

According to a Facebook post on Monday night from his girlfriend Danielle Copeland, Krueger suffered a fractured shoulder and elbow that will require surgery and a punctured lung.  She also reported that he was awake and alert at the time.

“If I had been a split second slower, two more of us (including Mike Simons) would have been involved,” said driver Andy Santeramo after the race.  “This incident came without warning and, when I pulled from fifth on the backside, I just wanted to move alongside the leader around the final bend but my horse had a lot of momentum and a little voice in my head said ‘just keep going.’ We are all saying prayers for Matt (Krueger), that’s for sure.”