This was a lousy experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone. It was about 4:00 last Saturday afternoon and I'm driving on a major road near my house. My wife and son are in the backseat – and I'm in the far right { the slow } lane of traffic. Out of the corner of my eye I see a medium sized dog running across the street – and I see I'm about to hit him. My choise are hit the dog, drive my family into a ditch or into the other lanes of traffic. I slam on the brakes as quickly as I can but I know I'm going to hit him. First I hear a yelp and a thump at the bumper – and then another thump at the back of the car. And then I see a flash of brown in my side mirror as the dog runs off the road and into an empty field.

I turned the car around as soon as I could but the dog was nowhere to be found. I can only guess – and hope – that I just rolled the dog under my car and he wasn't hurt very badly. We never saw the dog again. I hate the idea of someone loved family pet showing up at their door all batter and bruised and having to be put down. It just made me sick. I can still hear the thumps and the yelp. But later I started to feel the anger at someone who allows a dog to run free and wander into traffic. It wasn't just the dog that was endangered. Whole families get wiped out this way.

I can only hope for the best – for the dog – and feel that I did the best for my family under the circumstances. But it's still a damn shame. If it happened again tomorrow I don't think I'd do anything differently.