Our family dog, a 12-year-old golden retriever named Holly, died last Friday evening after a hit-and-run accident on Nisutlin Road.
She had just escaped from where I had tethered her, on the fence outside Super A.
The truck that struck her was a big, high-suspension pickup, with a broken passenger-side headlight. It had just turned off Lewes Boulevard, speeding towards the dam. Holly was standing on the north side of the road, just outside the bike lane, across from Christ the King school.
The impact was hard, a witness told me, but the driver did not stop.
I learned much later that night that at least seven dogs had been injured or killed like this in recent weeks: hit by motorists who didn’t see the dogs in the dark, or in time, or who were speeding. Dogs need to be securely leashed, fenced or tethered. Attaching a small LED flasher to their collar can make them more visible in the dark. I regret that I didn’t do these things for Holly that night.
Accidents happen. And sometimes they can be prevented.
Too many vehicles speed on Nisutlin Road, especially at night and on weekends. Thirty young families will soon be moving into the new housing built near where this accident occurred. We can’t have careless or dangerous drivers here.
I wish to thank the Alpine Veterinary Medical Centre (Dr. Heather McCann and Rachel Power) for their emergency care, and the RCMP who attended the scene. Anne Roussain and Dave McInnes, Karen-Jean Stewart, and Tony Castonger helped in many kind ways. I am sorry they had to witness this traumatic event.
Perhaps this letter may help prevent similar accidents, in the dark nights ahead.
Jenny Trapnell
Whitehorse