BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- A holiday horse gave people quite a scare Friday night.

A high school band spooked a horse pulling a carriage at the annual Legacy Village tree lighting ceremony, and it took off.

"We saw the horse. It was like the night of the apocalypse. This horse just, this big white horse took off," said a witness.

The horse collided with at least two cars before breaking away from the carriage and taking off at a full gallop.

The driver was pulled to the ground trying to reign in the animal.

"He took off and went through the barricade over there and went up on the curb, ran over another car and we went sideways on two wheels coming around the turn coming back down this way," said the passenger.

Once the horse got away, it ran through the parking lot toward the back end of Dick's Sporting Goods where it was quickly corralled.

Only the driver was hurt. The tree lighting went on as scheduled.