A typical night at a countryside in the Philippines: a local farmer is at the streets walking his 18-year-old water buffalo home after a long day plowing a rice field.

Australian Terrence Binney, allegedly drunk, was at the same street driving his motorcycle.

The man then collided with the beast of burden, known locally as the carabao. The animal, in retaliation, gored the 70-year-old man to death with his horn. The buffalo's right horn pierced the man's stomach, and the force of the blow detached the horn from the animal's head due to the combined weight of the Australian and the motorcycle.

Binney, a pensioner, was brought to a hospital in Laguna but died 3 hours later.

The carabao's owner, Pablo Gutierrez, apologized for the incident.He said that it's possible the carabao got blinded by the motorcycle's lights, so when the animal was hit, it responded by attacking him.

The police said the victim's relatives can file criminal charges of 'reckless imprudence resulting in homicide' against the owner. If proven guilty, the farmer could spend up to six years in prison. Binney's Filipina wife is still weighing as to whether to press charges.
The wife would unlikely obtain any monetary damages from the farmer. Although the Philippines is a newly industrialized nation, over 30% of the people are still farmers, most of them earning only less than $2 a day.

A relative the Australian arrived in the Philippines Monday night to bring back the victim's ashes to Australia.

Carabaos, which could weigh up to 900 kilograms, are still used by most local farmers to flatten land as they are cheaper than the more efficient tractors.