ESCONDIDO - A 16-year-old girl was hospitalized with a possible broken leg Sunday night after a car crashed into a horse she was riding, said fire Capt. Corey Cheney.

The crash occurred about 7:20 p.m. Sunday in the 600 block of Vista Avenue near Ash Street, he said. The girl, who lives nearby, was riding her horse eastbound when a sport-utility-vehicle, heading westbound, ran into the right side of the horse, he said.

The girl was conscious but lying on the ground when paramedics arrived, Cheney said. The horse stayed upright despite the impact, and the girl was helped off it by neighbors, he said. She was transported by ambulance to Palomar Medical Center for treatment of her leg injuries, which were not considered life-threatening, he said.

The horse was led home by the girl's parents, Cheney said. The animal appeared to have suffered significant injuries to a right thigh and leg where the car hit, he said. The owners called in a veterinarian to examine it, he said.

The driver of the SUV was not seriously injured, Cheney said. The crash appeared to have been caused by poor visibility due to bright sunlight, he said. Authorities closed down traffic in both directions on Vista Avenue for about 30 minutes, he said.