Tracking down a tragedy
Update, 5:30 p.m.:
High Point police will NOT file charges against the owner of the dog that caused jogger Phillip Schrum to veer into the path of an oncoming vehicle. Phillip, 20, was struck and killed last Saturday.
Police determined that the dog escaped from its home when a young child opened the door.
Jane Schrum, Phillip's mother, called me earlier this afternoon to express concerns about possible charges. That's the last thing her family would have wanted, she said.
Despite her enormous grief, she was worried about the pain experienced by the family that owned this dog. God bless her.
My original post follows ...
High Point police are justified in investigating the circumstances of Phillip Schrum's death.
Loose dogs sometimes present a real danger to joggers, walkers, bicyclists and others. In my many years of running, I've encountered a lot of troublesome dogs, although I've only been bitten twice. I never worried about being forced by one into the path of a vehicle, but it's a natural reaction to veer away from a dangerous-looking dog that's charging straight at you.
The issue police apparently are examining is whether the owners of this dog were habitually irresponsible or whether the animal just happened to get loose this one time, with tragic results. Of course, a dangerous dog only has to run free once to do a lot of harm.
Whether any charges are filed, it seems there's a strong case for civil liability. People can be held accountable for the actions of a dog that's supposed to be under their control.
Phillip's death was a terrible occurrence that has saddened everyone who knows of it. No attempt to impose accountability can lessen the pain of his family and friends. But it is important to learn about the events that contributed to the accident and to drive home the point that dogs can't be allowed to run freely. Too many bad things can happen as a result.
Due to recent automated spamming attacks on our blogs, we are temporarily requiring commenters to authenticate themselves via TypeKey® before posting comments to any News & Record blog in order to prevent denials of service. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.