[nagdu] Washington - Guide dog killed crossing Kennewick street

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Yikes!  I was so caught up in the place it happened, I almost didn't catch
the part!  You raise really good questions.  Why *wasn't* the driver
arrested and charged for nearly killing a pedestrian?  Especially a blind
pedestrian?  And for killing the guide dog?

The article does mention an investigation, but...  You have a point.  What's
there to investigate, if they know who the driver is?

We'll be hearing it on the news out here, I hope, so I'll pay attention and
keep track.  I'm in Oregon, not Washington, so I don't know exactly what
they're guide dog protection act is like.  Or their traffic laws?  I lived
in Washington, long ago when I was a driver myself, and just assumed if I
was stupid enough to hit a pedestrian, it would turn out badly for me, too.
So I made it a point to watch where I was going, especially at street
crossings.  Most people I know do the same.

The white cane has a reflective quality that gives added protection to the
cane user in darkness, but I noticed that my friend's harness from TSE does
have a reflective strip on the handle, at least.  Since I ordered mine
custom made, I went nuts and got reflective tape every place possible.  Then
again, when we nearly got hit in the cross walk that time, then nearly got
hit by a speeding bicycle on the way back home, Mitzi was wearing her safety
vest with reflective stripes.  Two people that night had to work to avoid
seeing her!  I was wearing something pretty bright, as well.

Anyway, I guess we'll find out what the authorities decide to do about it
and if the Washington afficliate gets involved...  Don't know if they have a
chapter out in the Tri-Cities, as that area is called.  It's pretty remote.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jewel S.
Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 1:10 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Washington - Guide dog killed crossing Kennewick street

What do they mean he wasn't arrested or chaged? He just broke the law
by mowing down a pedestrian and his guide dog, violating the White
Cane Law, which give the right to blind people carrying a white cane
or using a guide dog, and they aren't charging him with anything?!
That is absolutely ridiculous. So what stops drivers from not mowing
down blind pedestrians who cross the road against the light due to
lack of traffic, an opening that seems like a light in favour of a
pedestrian, or a simple mistake of decision? What stops cars from
running over blind pedestrians who have less than good O&M skills, who
find themselves veering into the road while crossing a side street?

This guy hits a blind man and his guide dog, kills the guide dog and
injures the handler, and he isn't charged with anything? Is there any
plans for a protest against this? What is going to be done about this?

Outraged,
Jewel

On 3/19/10, Ginger Kutsch <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com> wrote:
> ACCIDENT: Guide dog killed crossing Kennewick street
> By Paula Horton, Herald staff writer
>
> Kennewick A guide dog died after being hit by a car while leading
> his owner
> across a street in Kennewick.
> Bernie R. Vinther, 65, and his dog, Kaber, were crossing the
> street at Sixth
> Avenue and Washington Street around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when they
> were
> struck by a car driving north on Washington Street, said
> Kennewick police.
> The car was driven by Victorino Mendoza, 46, of Pasco. He was not
> arrested
> or charged.
> Vinther was treated at Kennewick General Hospital with
> nonlife-threatening
> injuries. Kaber was a black lab.
> Vinther had just left the Kennewick police station where he
> volunteers.
> The crash remains under investigation by the Kennewick police's
> traffic
> unit.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Ginger Bennett Kutsch
> Morristown, NJ
>
>
>
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