VILLAS – On Oct. 17 at approximately 7 p.m., the driver of a red sport-utility vehicle struck Roxy, the pet dog of Kaitlyn Nolan, in front of a Bayshore Road diner.
Nolan said Roxy is “an escape artist” and has a propensity for getting loose from her home. The driver did not stop to render assistance or even slow down to see the extent of Roxy’s injuries.
The driver hit Roxy so hard that the front bumper of the car was left at the scene. Eyewitnesses could not get the license plate of the vehicle because it sped off.
Shore Animal Control is offering a $200 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect. The community wanted to help and started a fund to support the medical expenses for Roxy’s injuries and care because of the experience.
According to Linda Gentille, manager of Shore Animal Control, the Lower Township Police Department was on the scene almost immediately. “They do a wonderful job helping animals when they are hit by a car and usually always wait for animal control to arrive. Without a license plate number, however, they have little chance to locate the suspect unless the public reports him/her. Hopefully, the suspect will be found and charged so more people will think twice before leaving the scene of an accident.”
Lower Township police did not respond to a request for comment. They require an OPRA (Open Public Record Act) filing to obtain the police report.
Gentille noted, “This is the second hit-and-run in Lower Township in the past three weeks. A small white dog was struck earlier and died the following day. The striking of Roxy is so tragic because the driver clearly did not stop and almost hit one of the residents who was trying to capture Roxy and help her.
“When you strike an animal, you must stop and notify the police immediately,” Gentille continued.
“It is a crime to leave the scene. Of course, the responsible thing to do is to render aid by staying with the animal until the animal control officer arrives. Do not touch an animal in pain, as they often can bite when in pain. In this case, there was clearly negligence on the part of the driver,” Gentille said.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
