Tehachapi News

"Do I think he should have stopped ....  YES!!!!  Do I know his reasons for not stopping. NO!!!!" Do I care? NO!!!!

Well I think there's a qualified difference between hitting a skunk or squirrel, which you know is a wild animal, and a dog or cat which could very probably be someone's pet.  And almost certainly is if its a little dog which wouldn't last 2 seconds with the coyotes and bobcats in Tehachapi unsupervised.

So I'm sorry.  Maybe I'm just pessimistic of human behavior, but I'm usually right.  This guy just took off.  The sitting in a state of glee thing was an exaggeration of course but its as valid as theory as anyone else has conjectured. ;)

gube~what are you doing still driving?  God is the pilot, get out of the way

Jewels I have trust issues.

They can't get over it rm6, they have it all figured out that this man should rot in hell for having a dog run in front of him and him not stopping.  They have the whole thing figured out.  The reasons, the circumstances.  "This man is sittling in a state of glee" that he got away with this. This man is a piece of crap that should be smitten with karma and bad things happen to him over this.  I'm hoping that the next skunk that one of you run over, you follow the law and stop to check on it, if it is still alive, I hope that you call the proper authorities and wait there to see that it is taken care of.  No matter what the circumstance, you must stop, get out of your car and check on this animal.  I think the possibilies of this man knowing that the dogs children were watching is far fetched and assuming.  Do I think he should have stopped ....  YES!!!!  Do I know his reasons for not stopping. NO!!!!

Get over it people, what's done is done, the dog can't be resurrected and the driver isn't going to be punished, it's the reality of life.

gube~what are you doing still driving?  God is the pilot, get out of the way

actually God is my co-pilot,  He don't drive.

Actually I was thinking he'd stop and resurrect it...

What would Jesus do if he were the driver of car that hit the dog?

Fleeing the scene was deliberate.

TK are you positive that the driver knew he hit the small dog. You are a angry woman. Do you wish this man to be ran over by a car to, I bet that would make you happy. That would teach him a lesson don't you think. Or should we if you catch him stone the driver to death, hey i bet you would love to throw the first stone. And TK one last thing before i go and that is the driver is already off your hook. What would Jesus do ? Would he want revenge or would he forgive.

The driver didn't stop because they were a) uninsured, b) illegal alien, or c) was more worried about their hide than the feelings of the kids.  Its really that simple.  While I hate to be a party pooper, the person that didn't stop is not feeling any remorse whatsoever.  In fact they are probably filled with glee that they got away with it sad to say.  Things like this is why I like to hope there is such a thing as karma.  Eventually it will catch up with them hopefully. :/

I will not let the driver off the hook.  The dog getting loose was an accident.  The dog getting hit was an accident.  Fleeing the scene was deliberate.

How about skunks, if I hit a skunk am I required to pull it's dead little stinky body off the road or check to see if it is seriously injured?  As I've said before, why would we wish this man nasty things and bad karma?  I understand that this was a horrible thing to watch.  I've seen animals get hit, I've hit animals, it's never a pleasant experience.  I've hit two dogs in my lifetime.  One I stopped and started to get out, I thought for sure I killed it, as soon as I opened my door, he jumped up and took off running.  Another little dog ran out in front of me driving through a neighborhood, again I stopped and the elderly owners were very understanding and sorry for me.  I'm not stopping for squirrels, raccoons, skunks, rabbits, they have diseases.  

So TK, now that a few days have passed, do you think of this guy as just an a**hole, or are you still wishing nasty things on his head and bad karma?    

Hell if I see a dead squirrel on the road I'll run over it again just for the hell of it.

Seriously, ground squirrels (the ones around Tehachapi) are nasty disease carrying varmits, if I hit one I'd be more concerned about the mess it made on my tire.

I for one would rather (if put in this sad situation) run over someone else's dog than cause a traffic accident. The driver didn't stop, BFD, life goes on. I wish people would mind their own business and worry about sustaining their own morals and using them to judge their own actions, not someone else's.

Like I said before, the driver might not've been aware that they hit the dog...talking on the phone, listening to music...

Lori ..for the record if I hit a dog I would stop.

Yes, it is sad this had happen.  Accidents occur.  But as one other person pointed out....it is the law to stop.  If you hit any "personal property" you are accountable.  I learned this at the ripe old age of 18.  I was prosecuted in criminal court for hitting a grape vine, and leaving the scene.  I left my car, it was a weekend, went to the farmer and paid restitution, $250 for one grape vine, the next day before I even realized I had been charged with a crime, and I was still prosecuted for a hit and run because it was personal property.  When I went to get my car the next morning with AAA, it had already been towed and impounded.  I left it because it was stuck in the mud.  I spent  $160 to get my car out.  I still was in criminal court after I went to the police station and told my story, got a written letter from the farmer and produced that but it didn't matter.  I hit personal property and left the scene.  The judge did throw it out and said the cop was overzealous, but for a 18 year old kid that thought they were doing right it was real scary being in criminal court.  I am not sure if it is still the same, the the law use to be that dogs were personal property but cats were not.  You need to stop and look for a tag to report it.  Do I think this person who hit the dog is Hitler resurrected, no.  But it is the law.

I'm trying to imagine the type of individual who would run over an animal and just keep going?  Don't even think someone would not be aware.  I ran over a little squirrel (by accident) and you get a thump, thump noise.  I stopped and moved his little body to the side of the road ..... at a minimum to keep someone else from swerving or running over him again.

I mean, you don't pull over to see if you can help?  You don't pull over and see if the animal can be saved?  You don't call animal control if you're out on a country road?  You don't pull the dead body to the side of the road?  The driver was a coward.  You don't know if you can help unless you stop.  He decided to keep going because he didn't want to stop (or she .... don't want to assume here) and take any responsibility.  We've all discussed that topic before. 

Geez - for my all my senses (moral, common), you pull over and see what can be done.  Period.  Sorry bigdog, we part company on this one - poor little doggie, poor little kids.  My heart goes out to them. 

Yikes  : {

Well, um, olivia I like did state that the dog should have been on "a better lead" like, um, eight comments prior.  That indicates very clearly that the dog was on some type of lead.

And bigdog, the expression "I'm sorry" is a common one used to express sympathy to another human being.  I have told a person "I'm sorry" when I heard they were very ill, even though I did not cause the illness.  I have also heard other civilized people use the expression when hearing about a misfortune. 

I was angry at the callous disregard one person demonstrated one day last week so I wrote this blog when I got home.  I have been disturbed at the number of people who live here that share that disregard of life and the law.  The anger from people who think the actions of that driver were acceptable has been a real eye-opener to me.   

Well TK, that was a little something that should have been clarified, like.... many comments ago.  So the dog was on a leash?  He slipped out of the rope?  My problem all along has been you wanting to "smite" this man with bad karma.  The whole situation seemed to be ugly to me.  Both sides of it.

Thank you Christine and DonMar.  I was feeling morally isolated.  Let me clarify something.  The dog had been restrained on a rope but the it came loose.  Dogs have been known to slip out of collars, gee, I've even had it happen to me.   

Having a conscience is very important in life; it is the moral compass that guides us to do the right thing.   Those responding have all read the facts on this topic, however, it is appaling that a few diehards think it is okay to run over a dog and simply drive away.  If you leave the grieving children out of the equation, what you still have is some thoughtless, spineless coward who hit and split; he/she killed a dog without even bothering to see if the innocent animal was still alive . . .  

Step up to the plate, be a man, get a back-bone, or substitute any/all the other metaphors you choose so you can remotely comprehend:  The bottom line is, we are individually responsible for our actions.  

What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what type of difference you want to make.

 

Look out, Bambi and Thumper:  Run for your lives; it is open season according to a few diehards.

I would feel horrible if I ran over any animal, and YES, I would STOP. It's the right thing to do. If you hit an animal on the road you are required to stop. Suppose that animal is still alive and could be saved, or is suffering and needs to be put out of its misery?

We are responsible for our actions and we are supposed to be the guardians of animals on this earth.  Does the fact that it might be a stray okay? How can anyone justify hitting an animal and just keep going? What is wrong with you people?

I also think the parents were wrong for not having the dog on a leash, but 2 wrongs do not make a right, here, folks.

Thanks Canine creek  for the clarification and explanation of what happened. I have heard nothing but good things said about canine creek.  Other local businesses could benefit from your example. This was a bad deal and accidents happen. There is a lesson to be learned.

As clarification, Canine Creek does require all pets to be in carriers, on tie-downs in the tubs, or on leash at all times while in the store.  The family was waiting outside, on the building's front porch, for their turn to see the vet when the incident occurred.  We make every effort to encourage responsible pet ownership (which includes use of a leash), but unfortunately we can't control what people do outside our store.  If my staff had seen the dog running loose in the parking lot, we would have asked them to leash the dog.  We loan leashes for use on the property if owners don't have one.  It still amazes me how many dog owners in Tehachapi don't even OWN one.  This was a preventable accident and, hopefully, one that all involved will learn from.

TK why did you think the driver of the car owes the children an apology.You said that all the driver had to do was pull over and say I' m sorry. Why ? If all the driver was doing was driving down the road minding his own business and a dog runs out onto the road and gets hit then why would the driver need to apologize for something that was not his fault. Should the driver have stopped  ? did he know he hit a the dog ? Should the dog owners had the dog restrained ? Should canine creek require all dogs to be restrained when entering or leaving their store ? Whos at fault ?

While I do feel bad for the kids.  Shame on mom.  How many dogs and cats are running wild.  They run across the street and get hit by a car.  You see dead dogs and cats on the side of road all the time.  What happened???  Did this man smile and wave at the kids while he ran over their poor dog?  How do we know that he knew these kids were even watching.  I'm going to give the driver the benefit of doubt here and say, he probably thought he just hit another stray animal. It's sad and I'm hoping mom is taking responsibility for what happened to her children's pet.

Yea, and if you hit a raccoon (or any wild animal) and injure it but not kill it, the law says you must stop and call the aspca, but honestly, who is going to do that?

Would you like to face three little kids who just saw their dog get run over and killed? I know I wouldn't. I don't think that you can compare hitting a dog to hitting a car. If the dog was small enough the driver might not have even known he/she had hit it. It's not like that dog was one of the kids. The dog is dead and it isn't coming back, if I was one of those children, there wouldn't be anything that the driver could say or do that would make me feel any better. Do you wish many nasty things on this driver because the law was broken or because a dog was killed? Unless the driver intentionally swerved to hit the dog, I don't see why a bunch of bad things should happen to him or her.

TK do you follow the law to the letter all the time? Do you make rolling stops at stop signs? Do you speed? Because everytime you do, you're "thumbing your nose at the law." My point being that no one follows the "insignificant" laws when they think that they can get away with it. It might be honorable to do what is right, but doing what is easier is usually more rewarding.

So if you'd have gotten the lp #, would you have been an a-hole and reported the driver and caused even more difficulties or would you have minded your own business while still feeling sorry that the unfortunate event even happened?

I am amazed at the numbers of people who are okay with thumbing their noses at the law.  If you damage someone's property then you are obliged by our California Vehicle Code to stop and make an attempt to find the owner.  It does not matter if you were at fault or not.  Brush up on your driving rules.  The driver damaged another person's property and fled the scene.  Hitting the dog was not a crime but fleeing was!  This is no different than sideswiping another car and fleeing the scene.  Even if the car was illegally parked and you were not at fault the law says you must stop. 

Yes, the dog should have been on a better lead.  Yes, the family should have had control over the dog.  Yes, a loose dog is in violation of Kern County ordinance.  Yes, the family was trying to do the right thing by getting their dogs vaccinated.  Yes, there was a language barrier.  Yes, they probably thought the dogs would be okay because they're so good at home.  None of this excuses the driver who killed the dog and fled the scene.  All the driver had to do was pull over and say "I'm sorry". 

Caninecreek wrote :   " My employee and I dodged traffic to retrieve the little dog's body from the street for the family"

It's very possible that by trying to stop, the driver may have caused an accident .     I don't like  to think the worst of people without knowing all of the facts so I believe that the person who hit the dog is suffering along with everyone else.  This is a sad situation for all but let's hope a lesson was learned.

 

What an awful event to happen for all parties involved. I have to agree whole heartedly with what DonMar said. Both sets of adults set bad examples. I feel so sad for the children who know longer have their beloved dog and have to live with the memory of seeing what happened.

DonMar- I love that saying. Do you mind if I borrow it?

 

Even if the driver was not at fault, the right thing to do would have been to stop and express his or her concern, however, maybe the driver does not have a conscience, or does not know right from wrong ~ Maybe when he was a child, someone ran over his dog, and just kept on driving . . . so he thinks it is okay . . .

Two seperate sets of adults (the parents and the driver who accidently hit the dog)  need to learn an important life-lesson:

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.

These poor children have not only witnessed their family pet dying needlessly, right in front of them; the children were also were forced to see another terrible example, that of "responsible" adults, being incredibly thoughtless in their collective actions. 

I witnessed a dog being hit by a speeding milk truck when I was just six years old - it wasn't even my dog, yet the memory and a bit of heartache has stayed with me for 50 years.

This was a terrible accident that probably could have been avoided, but no one should be deemed "guilty" or "blamed". They will punish themselves enough I'm sure. Yes, the dog should have been on a leash. Yes, the driver should have stopped.

What matters here are little kids who witnessed the death of their pet - a trauma that no one, especially a child should have to endure.

Put the blame where it belongs, On the owner of the dog.

Why wasn't the dog on a leash?  It isn't really that short of a run from canine creek to Tucker Rd.  If the dog normally runs off and doesn't come when called, the dog should have been on a leash.  I'm sure the driver didn't realize there were small children watching as he ran the dog over.  He maybe should have stopped.  I'm sure he would have avoided hitting the animal if he could have.  I think the parent is at fault here for allowing her children's pet to run off not being restrained by a leash.  Especially when there is a busy street nearby.  If the man had stopped?  He could have apologized for running over the little dog, and what good would that have done.  Talk about guilt?  Having to apologize to a group of young children for running over a pet, when in reality it could have been avoided by the owner?  I don't think this man is going to suffer from any Karma.  I think the parent needs to apologize to her children for not having the dog on a leash.  If it had been a 2 year old child, wouldn't the parent have a good hold of their hand.  If you cannot control your animal or child when near a busy street, they have no business being let to wander alone.

Did the dog run into traffic, or did the driver hit the dog on purpose?.If it was the dogs fault that it died then why so angry with driver. you make him sound like a cold blooded killer like he meant to run over the dog.Weather he pulled over or not the dog would still be dead. Now if the driver did swerve to hit the dog then yes i could see where the anger would come from. I think that the owners of the dog should be at fault and if you want to be pissed off at someone then you should be angry with the owners allowing the dog to run off without being restrained in a public place. The owners to broke a law. A Law that got their dog killed. Should the owners  be charged with a crime ?  TK your thinking on this is askew.

What a terrible position to be in...the driver...damned if you stop and damned if you don't.

It was indeed a tragic event.  If only the family had seen fit to put the dog on a leash, it probably wouldn't have happened.   However, it is beyond me how someone could run down a dog, with the family standing on the sidewalk, and not stop to check on its welfare.  Fortunately the dog died instantly and did not suffer.  My employee and I dodged traffic to retrieve the little dog's body from the street for the family.  A very sad afternoon.