Dog blamed for hitting woman with truck
A police dog that was left in a pickup with the engine running apparently knocked the vehicle into gear and ran down a woman who was walking to her mailbox.
Mary F. Stone, 41, was expected to remain hospitalized with a fractured pelvis and tailbone until at least Friday, said her husband, Paul Stone.
The dog, a German shepherd named Ranger, had been left in the truck while its handler responded to a domestic disturbance call Tuesday, police Lt. Loring Draper said. The truck's engine was on so Ranger would have air conditioning.
Draper said Ranger must have hit the shift on the steering column, putting the automatic transmission into gear. As the truck slowly rolled forward, police officers yelled to Stone, but she couldn't get out of the way in time, he said.
A front and rear tire ran over her. "She had tire marks on her clothes," her husband said.
The truck then went through the Stones' yard and struck a vehicle in the driveway.
Draper said police were trying to determine if there might have been some malfunction that would have allowed the gear shift to be moved easily.
I have to say, my recent education into the carelessness of animals has made this sadly not surprising to me. Ranger probably put on an innocent face here, but who knows what the real motives are? We are gathering data regarding the conspiracy of the animals against us. Don't others see it?
I am beginning to worry now that my dog has started reading "Canine Jihad" magazine....
