A few weeks back I wrote an article about how speeding through rural villages would eventually result in a death or serious injury in the wolds villages. Little was I to know that I would become a victim of the issues I have tried to address.
It was 7:45pm on the 7/06/2013. My wife had returned from shopping and are usual way of life was plodding by. Little was I to know that within 20 mins I would lose one of the best friends I had ever known.
I had gone down the footpath with my 8 year old daughter to wash my car and noticed that a cyclist had stopped in the road. He turned to me and said 'is she alright?'
A bit confused, and assuming he meant my daughter, I was thrown back by this comment, that was until he pointed at the road. I stepped forward into the road, as my view was obscured by the car. To my horror my best friend was lying in the road.
I immediately got down next to her and sent my daughter to fetch my wife from within the house. The cyclist kindly explained that a car had sped past him and hit her. Failing to stop to even see what they had done. The was no skid marks on the road to suggest that they had made any attempt to stop. A piece of the vehicles bumper was the only thing that gave any clue that a vehicle had impacted with her.
Pollyanna was a 6 year old Jug Dog. A beautiful cross between a pug and a jack russel. I had owned her for 3 years, a birthday present from my wife. She had spent the first 3 years of her life as a farmers dog. However financial difficulties that the farmer was experiencing resulted in her sale.
She was loyal, loving and more than a pet to us. She was a massive part of our family.
I immediately asked my wife to fetch a blanket and call a vet. All this time I lay in the road with Pollyanna, giving her words of encouragement. Her back end was severely deformed and I knew that this was serious. It was within 20 seconds that more traffic came speeding around the bend, I knelt up with my hands up signalling for them to slow down. Which thankfully they did, only to overtake me and speed back up again.
Having made contact with the vets I picked Pollyanna up and placed her carefully in my van and with my eldest taking care of my youngest daughter we made our way to the vets.
The news was not good, her assessment by the vet was that her pelvis and possible lower spine was seriously damaged. She showed signs are severely reduced movement and sensitivity. It was then, as a result of a thoughtless driver, that I was put in a position that I would never wish anyone to be in. The long term effects of this injury would have a substantial result on her quality of life, she would be expected to take many months to recover on the slim chance that they could in some miraculous way put her back together. I had to make a choice, do I make my best friend go through months and many surgeries with pain and suffering a part of the process or do I have her put to sleep.
I spent 10 minutes with my wife, tears flowing and devasted by what had happened. I made the choice. The hardest of my life. At around 8:20pm I said a final goodbye to my loyal companion.
I hope that this goes someway to show that speeding is a real issues and families, no matter who the victim is, are left devastated by thoughtless drivers.
I would ask anyone who knows or witnessed the incident to contact Humberside Police on the 101 number, quoted log 633-07/06/13
Is it a requirement under the Highway code to report any incidents of a vehicle hitting a dog.
I would like to thank the cyclist who stopped to help, Abbey Vets on Augusta Street for their professionalism and to our local community support officers who came out to see us.
Speed kills, and to think that this may have been a pedestrian is something I do not wish to imagine.
It was 7:45pm on the 7/06/2013. My wife had returned from shopping and are usual way of life was plodding by. Little was I to know that within 20 mins I would lose one of the best friends I had ever known.
I had gone down the footpath with my 8 year old daughter to wash my car and noticed that a cyclist had stopped in the road. He turned to me and said 'is she alright?'
A bit confused, and assuming he meant my daughter, I was thrown back by this comment, that was until he pointed at the road. I stepped forward into the road, as my view was obscured by the car. To my horror my best friend was lying in the road.
I immediately got down next to her and sent my daughter to fetch my wife from within the house. The cyclist kindly explained that a car had sped past him and hit her. Failing to stop to even see what they had done. The was no skid marks on the road to suggest that they had made any attempt to stop. A piece of the vehicles bumper was the only thing that gave any clue that a vehicle had impacted with her.
Pollyanna was a 6 year old Jug Dog. A beautiful cross between a pug and a jack russel. I had owned her for 3 years, a birthday present from my wife. She had spent the first 3 years of her life as a farmers dog. However financial difficulties that the farmer was experiencing resulted in her sale.
She was loyal, loving and more than a pet to us. She was a massive part of our family.
I immediately asked my wife to fetch a blanket and call a vet. All this time I lay in the road with Pollyanna, giving her words of encouragement. Her back end was severely deformed and I knew that this was serious. It was within 20 seconds that more traffic came speeding around the bend, I knelt up with my hands up signalling for them to slow down. Which thankfully they did, only to overtake me and speed back up again.
Having made contact with the vets I picked Pollyanna up and placed her carefully in my van and with my eldest taking care of my youngest daughter we made our way to the vets.
The news was not good, her assessment by the vet was that her pelvis and possible lower spine was seriously damaged. She showed signs are severely reduced movement and sensitivity. It was then, as a result of a thoughtless driver, that I was put in a position that I would never wish anyone to be in. The long term effects of this injury would have a substantial result on her quality of life, she would be expected to take many months to recover on the slim chance that they could in some miraculous way put her back together. I had to make a choice, do I make my best friend go through months and many surgeries with pain and suffering a part of the process or do I have her put to sleep.
I spent 10 minutes with my wife, tears flowing and devasted by what had happened. I made the choice. The hardest of my life. At around 8:20pm I said a final goodbye to my loyal companion.
I hope that this goes someway to show that speeding is a real issues and families, no matter who the victim is, are left devastated by thoughtless drivers.
I would ask anyone who knows or witnessed the incident to contact Humberside Police on the 101 number, quoted log 633-07/06/13
Is it a requirement under the Highway code to report any incidents of a vehicle hitting a dog.
I would like to thank the cyclist who stopped to help, Abbey Vets on Augusta Street for their professionalism and to our local community support officers who came out to see us.
Speed kills, and to think that this may have been a pedestrian is something I do not wish to imagine.
