Bizarre but tragic story

Strong Bad

I still can't get it out of my head that this actually happened!

I'm driving back home this morning from Pennsylvania coming down I-83. I'm around the York area traveling south and am approaching one of the exits up ahead. I notice, what turned out to be an older Ford Explorer, coming down the ramp to get on to the highway. Just when it rounded the last turn, the drivers side door swings wide open and something goes flying out of the SUV and tumbling into the highway. I slammed on my brakes, but it was too late to stop and I couldn't get into another lane due to traffic.

A split second before I went over top of it, I noticed it was a dog. It appeared to be perhaps a cockerspaniel or close to it. In that instant also, it was jerking it's head in obvious pain, but again, too late to do anything. I heard it hit the underside of my vehicle. The cars behind me no doubt hit it also. I quickly pulled off to the side, looked in my rear mirrors and tried to come to my senses. The female driver jumped out of the truck and picked up the dog. I stayed right there in case she needed me, but she started pulling away.

My hands were shaking all the way home and I kept trying to figure out one thing...HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??? Now that I had time to think, it's obvious this woman had to have the dog on her lap and perhaps standing looking out that door window. The door couldn't have locked when they got in and from the momentum of going around that turn, forced the door open and the rest is history.

If that turns out to be the case (which I probably will never know), then this woman is going to have to live with the fact that she didn't have that poor dog securely seated in her vehicle. Remember all the **** the press gave Britney Spears about having her child on her lap while driving? Suppose this was a child instead of a dog! Dogs, children, etc...they all deserve the same amount of caution when putting them in a vehicle.

This is going to be on my mind for a little while, but atleast I know there was nothing I could have done.

Just had to vent!

John

F1nut

The world is full of idiots John, don't let it eat at you.

BaggedLancer

R.I.P. Woof Woof

tom t

very weird story. i just cant amagine the dog is still alive now

Polkitup2

Now that is bizarre. :eek:

janmike

With some people you never know. Glad you are ok John.

audiobliss

Wow, you really don't hear a story like that everyday!

But you're right, there's absolutely nothing you could've done, so no need to beat yourself up over it.

John in MA

This actually happened to a guy on another board I'm on, although under different circumstances. A small lap dog jumped out the window of a car in front of him, and ended up bouncing off his grill.

shack

My wife takes her dog riding with her in the car sometimes. The dog is always attached to a leash which is attached to something in the car...to prevent this very thing from happening. Some people are just stupid.

I know how you feel though John. We have had pets as long as I can remember and on the couple of occasions when one has run out in front of my car giving me no time to react...I just felt sick. However you might be surprised how resilient they are. I ran over a dog once, it rolled a few time and took off running. I followed it to it's house, they took it to the vet and he had a couple of broken bones, but survived. Maybe the Cocker will as well.

Demiurge

When I was a kid I was driving with my mom on the freeway. We were in the far right lane and in the left lane a dog jumped out of the window of the car going 65 mph with the leash on strangling it and dragging it. One of the worst things I have ever had to witness.

hearingimpared

John at least you know you have a good conscience and a kind heart. The rest is coming to terms with the fact that there is nothing YOU could have done to avoid that sad situation.

daboyz

That just sucks:( Thank God that you're alright and as others have said there was nothing you could do.

madmax

Its that Ford from hell that you drive. Nothing you could have done.
madmax

Strong Bad

madmax wrote: »

Its that Ford from hell that you drive. Nothing you could have done.
madmax

Here is the oddball thing sir...

I'm driving a rental vehicle until my Exploder is repaired tomorrow. Of all the crazy things, the woman was driving an older Explorer. I just can't get these pain in the **** Explorers out of my life!!!

On a serious note, i've had time to relax today and thought about it some more. The entire incident was simply out of the twilight zone. I really do feel bad for that dog though. Poor thing didn't have a chance.

R.I.P. Poochy!

madmax

Sounds like your Explorer got a friend to do the dirty work.

wingnut4772

That really sucks. I am sorry that happened. I am upset just reading it.

George Grand

Totally out of your control John, but I hear you. It would eat at me for a long time. Congrats on being human.

rskarvan

I saw a squirrel get squished a few months ago and it bothered me quite a bit. I'd hate to see a pooch experience this.

wingnut4772

I remember once a friend and I tried to rescue two dogs that were loose on the turnpike. We saved one but the other was so scared it ran from me and I saw it get hit and killed by a car. It was a cocker spaniel. It makes me sad to this day.

Fireman32

Being a dog owner that would be very hard to see. Its a shame that a dog has to loose its life becaue the owner is an idiot. Nothing you could do.

Willow

wingnut4772 wrote: »

That really sucks. I am sorry that happened. I am upset just reading it.

I know it makes me sick! not you fault what so ever.

When I was young we lived in Northern ON, we were driving to Ottawa to visit my grand-parents. I remember everything clearly... the HWY was a 2 lane, my bro and I in the back seat playing with our GIjoes, mom and dad up front, I galnce out the window and see this house all of a sudden it felt as though we hit a massive speed bump. I noticed there was a dog there running towards the car just before the "bump" then nothing. My dad pulled over to check things out. We hit the dog that ran out onto the HWY. My dad ran to the owners house where they grabbed a blanket. Then it was all a blurr.

Ron-P

I ended up in a head on collision due to some old **** with a dog in her lap. The cops wrote up her ticket (100% at fault) as the dog being part of the cause. Yeah, I collected some coin from her for that. Stupid people suck!

PhantomOG

Both of my dogs always ride in the back seat with harness on, attached to seat belt. The only reasonable thing to do.

I can't believe we have places where it's illegal to drive on the cell phone, but ok to drive with a 30lb dog in your lap. :rolleyes:

bobman1235

If you're going to ride with your dog definitely invest in a belt that fits him - I've read studies about just using seat belts actually being worse than just letting the dog be restraint free because of the awkward way regular seat belts hold dogs.


I'm confused about the original story - why did the woman open her door on the highway in the first place? Did I misread that?

That is like, my nightmare. I know there's nothing you can do but it's still a horrible thing to think about.

Strong Bad

She was coming down a circular onramp to get on the highway. Coming around the final part of the turn, the door appeared to swing open on it's own from (just speculating) the force of the turn AND maybe the dog leaning on the door. It was the drivers side door on a 2 door SUV.

How the door was NOT securely closed and locked is the mystery.

She obviously will have to live with the fact that her stupidity killed that dog! My first thoughts though at the time were the dog, then for HER safety as she was frantically running into the middle of the highway to get to the dog.

It all happened so fast that by the time I pulled over to the shoulder, then looked in my mirrors and turned around to look, she was already out of the truck and into traffic.

shadowofnight

I feel for you...I would die inside , but knowing there was nothing you could do is all you can think about...you cant sweat what you have no control over.

I have rescued more dogs then I can count from dangerous situations...most responded well and let me rescue them...a couple of course ran and would not let me get them.

I rescued my gorgeous princess ( Vet says approx 2 years old at the time ) from a busy 6 lane highway...she was smack dab in the middle of the lanes and walking out in front of me. I stopped put my hazard lights on and got out and just when I went to pick her up a white piece of **** ricer car zoomed around my truck at at least 65 ( Speed limit on the road is 45 ) and missed her by inches...I swear to god if he had hit her I would have been going to jail that day for killing him.

She jumped up into my truck and I brought her home....she was so pretty and likeable...my other 3 dogs liked her but I knew I had to take her to the shelter to see if somebody had lost their doggy. She spent a week in "Jail" and nobody claimed her ( Which I couldnt believe because she had a collar ...was well fed and brushed..well behaved ) . So I went back and they said she was mine.

The real twilight zone thing about the whole episode is I NEVER come home from work that way....just this one time my wife had called me at work and asked if I could get her bisquits and gravy from Fosters Freeze ( Something we usually get on weekends only ) . Never once had I come home from work that way before .

She is looking at me as I type this...wanting a snack