GUMP

I unfortunately hit and probably killed a dog about an hour ago on the way home from work. It was very dark and on a fairly busy 2 lane highway. I hit the horn as I slammed the brakes and even swerved into the other lane..thank god no one was coming. But it just happened too quickly. I had to stop and get gas so I looked to see if everything was ok..low and behold, a nice chunk of the lower bumper was gone on the passenger side. I did call the police and told them what happened..they said I should a have stayed and called. I had no idea that I should have stayed..but there was no way to pull over on this highway. He said it's no crime, but now I can't get an accident report. There are other reports I can fill out (AA66 I think it's called). I also want to make sure someone knew what happened. Plus, I feel really bad about the whole thing.

Question, does anyone know of a really good body shop between King of Prussia PA and Reading PA? I'll probably wait until late March or April when the weather gets better to get the work done. It looks like the entire front bumper will need to be replaced since it's all one piece.

Any suggestions...

NFLblitze1

im not sure on the body shop...sorry to hear that man...do u have any pics?

drdamian

you can probably call your dealership and ask them which body shop they use. Try West Chester Acura., i know they use a body shop down the street... they did a good job on my car..... sorry to hear about your car and the poor dog..

dashotgun

you really should have stayed think if the dog did not die right away.....

GUMP

Yeah, I was thinking of calling my dealership (Montgomeryville).
I was going to pull over, but there was no way I could have stopped..it might have caused an accident..it's a two lane highway.

jw0613

well one time i hit a wolf or huge dog on a highway. it tried to cross the highway while i was going 110km/h (Canada). it broke my side mirror and made a dent on the front fender.
I stopped to check the body but there wasn't one. the guy who was behind me stopped and told me that it didn't die on impact and limped into the forest.
i felt terrible but i was rattled too..
it is a terrible feeling to hit something alive..

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Dude, wasnt the right thing to do....but I totally understand....just hearing you describe it....I can tell you regret what happened totally. Its never good when you hit a dog...happened once myself years ago and I did the same thing. Too much of an emotional hot-spot....and even if its an accident...if owner is near....they always hate on you! Even if you do the right thing! Bummer man, godspeed little 4 legged buddy.....hopefully he went home and got some help.

GUMP

Yeah, I'm still rattled..there are houses close by, but he came out from the brush. It's never happened to me before and I didn't know what to do. I live less then a mile from where it happened and thought it was better then stopping.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

It was a total no-win situation. Cost of situation....either somebody is pissed at you one way and possible revenge....or your constant guilt.......either way....gonna suck! Glad you didnt wreck or something worse than what happened....that is the only good thing that happened! Put it behind you now....its all you can do!

I might look for an entire replacement bumper assembly and have color matched and replace it yourself if thats all thats damaged.....

cblackburn

Did you get your accident report? Make sure you call the insurance company ASAP. Hopefully they will treat it the same as if a deer hit your call, and they will pay for the repairs. If you didn't get an accident report or there's no 'residue' on your car, then the insurance company won't help you (you could just as easily been drunk and hit a stump, for example).

As for the dog, yeah that sucks. Don't blame yourself tho, blame the worthless owners that don't control their pets. I've had to dodge a few dogs in my day too. As for cat tho.. I generally aim for them!

cM3go

Are you guys reading? He said he couldn't get an accident report since he moved from the scene

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

I'd go back and try again.....what if the dog ran off? You still have no report? What am I supposed to do...shoot the dog so he doesnt get away after I hit him so I can get a report? Try it...you never know?

cblackburn

Hmmm.. maybe just shave your neighbor's dog and throw the fur into the grill, heh.

HEK

Being a dog lover I am upset to the fact that you didn't stop, just know that it could have been a person and that would have been a hit and run and automatic jail time.
Anyways if you would have found the dog dead and had a tag, the owners would be responsible for your damage, either way your out of luck, no report, no dog just damage to your car...lesson learned..

Oswald Vater

I know how you feel. I cried once after I hit and killed a squirrel. Don't be too hard on yourself though. If the dog had an owner it shouldn't have been running loose. That and the traffic situation. What road were you on? (My daughter is marketing director at the VF convention center). As far as the car goes, I would definitely take it to a dealer and given your stipulations Montgomeryville sounds like the place.

xtin

The dog shouldnt have been out without a leash running across the highway. Irresponsible pet owners piss me off . .Ive got two labs and they are in the fenced yard WITH supervision or on a lead at all times (unless we are in the fenced dog park running and playing). The pet owner has no reason to be pissed at you, its not like you shot the dog during hunting season.

drdamian

maybe the dog was locked up on one of those electric fences. i know my partner had one for his dog and sometimes he breaks it... i once hit an animal.... it was some kind of small animal. not a dog or a cat. i must have hit it going 35 45 MPH in my VW. i actually felt it roll under the car and hit the underbody. and my car was lowered.... not slammed lowered but a nice 1.5 drop... i immediately pulled over on the road and proceded to back up about 40ft. a car immediately pulled next to me hit his lights... i got out of my car and walked over to the police. i told him that i just hit something and i just wanted to see if it was still htere or if it had gotten away ... whatever it was... the cop told me that people hit things all the time running across the road....he instructed me to get in my car and go on my way... there was no damage to the car although, i did have some fur jammed in the vents on the front of the car.... i didn't feel right the entire night... i was in college at the time so my friends helped me cheer up .... but i still felt bad

faxmonkey

I once hit the snout of a dear going towards Silverthorne from Leadville Colorado. Good thing I swerved or the thing would have been on my lap. I stopped and took a look at the damage on the car and notice a patch of fur on the side mirror, it was damaged beyond repair. Then I went to check on the dear (I don’t know why I did this) as it was lying on the road. I took a close look about a foot way from it and said, “Damn… too bad for Bambi.” Then its big eyes opened and she and I were startled. We both ran away from each other as fast as we could. Next time, if there’s ever a next time… I’m not taking a closer look.

Adobeman

I can understand that you didn't stay if the dog ran away after you hit it but not if the dog was there. If the was there then you absolutely should have sought help -no excuses. But, you say "probably killed" so perhaps the dog ran off. If that's true then I can understand why you left. The side of a dark highway is very dangerous and not someplace you should be "hanging around" unless there is a good reason. Your car will be fine and it is good to hear that you didn't get injured or injure someone else. I really love dogs but they aren't people. It is sad that this had to happen but as someone else said the owners of the dog need to look after it better.

Long ago (on a really snowy night) I hit a dog and it slid down the road a bit, got up and ran off. Oddly it was down the street from a police station. I stopped there and they said since it ran off that there was no need to have a report. Never did they accuse me of a crime. Perhaps they didn't want to deal with it or the law was different in NY state.

azrocks

one dead doggie....your lucky, my friend hit a deer before and it did $4000 in damage. you might consider a upgrade body kit since you are repalcing the front bumper. the a-spec comes painted.

KBOM

Gump,
Similar thing happened to me just before New Years. I had maybe 2 seconds to react. The studded snow tires I was running did nothing for my evasive reaction. I hit the dog going about 70mph. I'm sure he died instantly. I'm not sure what the law is in PA, but some states don't require you to stop. The last thing I'd want to do is get out of the car and be face to face with a p'd off dog. I backed up after I was able to stop. Not the best thing to do on a busy highway, but this was late at night and traffic was light. I was able to see that he was still laying in the middle of the road, so I got out to pull him off to the side. Just then a group of cars came and I could only watch as this lady ran him over again. She actually launched her car. She didn't even touch the brakes. I guess I wouldn't want my wife to pull off on some dark highway by herself. She called the Dept. of Transportation and reported it. They showed up within minutes. I had already pulled the 90lb Pit Bull off to the side. He had no tags, so I really didn't know what to do. The DOT guys just took off and left him there.
I didn't need any kind of accident or police report. It was filed as a comprehensive claim. I should get my car back this Friday. Total damage came to about $1200. Could have been worse. I can understand how you feel. I can still remember it like it just happened. Even the clueless look he gave me just before I hit him.

My damage:

ediddy

Man sorry to hear that, I am a animal lover myself. It pisses me off when some owners just let their dog go since they don't want to care for them anymore. Sometimes its not the owners fault since animals run away sometimes. But this is a lesson for all animal owners to keep an eye on their animals. Good luck with your repair and just try to watch out in the future.

ddswv

A few years back our Siberian Husky managed his way out of the yard and crossed the highway. As we were trying to find him, he heard us and jumped off the hillside into the path of a woman driving a van. She slammed into the dog, which threw him onto the side of the road. She stopped, looked at her van for any damage, found none, got back into her van and drove off. The dog finally died on our way to the Vet. We don't blame her for hitting the dog, it was our fault that he managed to get out of the yard, but it sure would have felt better if she'd at least stayed and said I'm really sorry fellows. I bet had her van received damaged she'd stayed.

bklynpanman

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my suggestion is that you're an idiot. !! to even post such a thing.. who cares about the car.. you hit an animal and didn't even have the sense to stop?!!! that's cruelty at it's best.. people like you make me sick

JetJock

SO...IT'S YOU WHO KILLED MY DOG!!!!!!!!! You should have stopped!!!! The poor dog died in agony...and a trip to the vet could have put him to sleep without suffering. Some people have no sympathy for animals..only worry about their car. SICK!

SORRY ABOUT YOUR BUMPER DUDE...my dog didn't even know he ruined your bumper.

JetJock

BTW DUMP, I mean Gump...there was a trun-around not far down the highway where you could have stopped. Have a nice day.

JohnDoe2

All you people who showed concern for the dog can relax.

I contacted the Pennsylvania State Highway patrol's office in Valley Forge. I received the incident reports for the area. The accident did not involve a dog.

It was only a homeless person.

ediddy

you guys are kidding right?

TorontoR

Good friends of ours hit a camel on a highway in Saudi Arabia. The camel and the entire family were killed. Its like hitting a car head on at that speed. Worst thing ever to witness. The center of gravity is high on a camel, and upon impact the legs are higher then the hood of the car, therefore the midsection lands square through the windshield. In a sense it is worse then hitting a car, since its a 1300 pound animal.

I've heard similar stories here in Canada where moose are of similar weight and dimensions.

hondatypes

thanx god.....u didnt hit a dog.. i was about to call aspca!! lol j/k

TacoBellSauce

yo jetjock...u serious?
was it really your dog?

GUMP

I've been away on business and haven't read this until tonight. Some of you guys are jackasses...it wasn't a person, it was a dog. And if you were literate enough to read my original post, I was concerned for the dog..it was in the middle of rush hour and there were cars behind me..there's no shoulder and I called the police within 10 minutes. It wasn't a person..it was a dog. There is no crime! In PA, there is no law stating you have to call the police when you hit a dog. I wasn't concerned for the car..and to be honest, I wasn't concerned about the dog. It was dead and it was an accident. I was more concerned about other drivers having to get out of the way of the dog if it was still in the road. Like most of you TL owners, the cost of the repair is not an issue..a couple of thousand dollars isn't much. It's too bad for the dog, but comparing it to leaving the scene of a crime that involves a human is totally off base. Grow up..I do appreciate the others on here that understand what happened.