Attention: Dog Owners

I just caused an accident while bicycling. A dog chased after me, and a driver hit the dog. No people were hurt.

It was only me, the car, and the dog on the road at the time. I was bicycling in a shoulder, just wide enough for my bicycle to fit completely inside. There was only a single lane on either side of the road. Not a lot of space to avoid creatures.

A small dog from a house across the road yipped and ran towards me. I saw it race across its yard in my peripheral vision. The dog was short and small, hard to see. It came to the road from the side, up an embankment, out of nowhere.

I did not turn to look. I kept straight at the same speed, because just then I heard a car approaching to pass. I thought, if the dog runs across the road, it's going to get itself killed - see, the timing was disastrous. The dog darted just as the car was coming up on me.

Even if the driver saw the dog in time to react, there was nothing that could be done. There was not enough room to stop the car.  If the driver swerved left, she'd run over the dog head on. If she dodged right, she would hit me.

The first thing I thought when the accident happened was, I hope the driver kept straight. Please don't let the car crash into a tree or get hit by traffic from behind.

I heard an impact and tires screech. Then another sound, like the car drove over a piece of plywood. I think it was the plastic molding below the car's left headlight came off on impact, and got rolled over by the rear tires.

I turned into a nearby street and looked back. The wounded dog was on the double yellow line in the middle of the road. The dog was not killed, but one rear leg was missing. A lady from the house ran out, hugged her dog, and cried.

Traffic stopped briefly. A man got out of his truck and wrapped the bleeding dog in a towel. Some drivers pulled over, then others drove past.

The driver in the accident stopped a hundred yards down the road. She and her friend got out, and returned to the dog. They were in town for the weekend, vising friends. It was no fault of theirs, and I'm sorry they had this accident.

The tragedy of it is, the person responsible for the accident was none of the persons involved in it. Neither the dog, nor the driver, nor the bicyclist has done anything wrong, nor could any one of them have acted any differently to avoid the accident. The one responsible for the accident is the dog owner, for neglecting to have her dog on a leash or fenced in.

Yet the dog owner will go through much worse than me or the driver. She clearly loves her dog. If the dog survives, she will have to pay medical costs or put it down. She will also have to take special care of it.

The owner is also liable for damages cased by negligence. In this case, the damage to others was minor - just a piece of plastic taken off a car, but the collision may have turned out a lot worse. Had there been another vehicle coming in the opposite direction or another one behind... Not to mention if the leg removed had been mine - there could be some complicated legal battles.

I have bicycled past many houses where owners let their dogs loose in their yard. Too many times, dogs have run up to me, chasing intently and even leaping up at my bicycle. When dogs are in pursuit, they never look when crossing the road. They are unaware of the danger they risk.

So please, anyone who lets their dogs run out in the yard, keep your beloved pets safe on a leash or inside a fence! When I, a foolish but blameless bicyclist, come by you'll get us both killed.