ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - If Babe the Brittany spaniel could talk, she’d likely tell a terrifying tale of being tossed around the backseat as joyriding youths raced from St. John’s up to Tors Cove before the stolen car ended up over a bank Monday night on the Southern Shore Highway.
Earlier story: Family dog injured, three youths in custody after alleged car theft
The look on her face when Babe’s dog mom, Debbie Hanames, caught sight of her at the crash scene said it all.
“Oh my God, I never see her so bad,” Debbie told The Telegram June 12.
After a $172 emergency trip to the vet Monday night, Babe (pronounced "baby") has to be kept inside for a few days — except to do her business — and her breathing watched, as it wasn’t normal in the aftermath of the crash. According to a family Facebook post, bruising on the lungs is a concern, but a cut paw was minor.
She hadn’t yet eaten anything Tuesday morning and may eventually need a $600 X-ray.
The family car was stolen from the Wal-Mart parking lot on Topsail Road Monday night around suppertime as Debbie’s son Colin was loading shopping and returning the cart when the vehicle was stolen.
“Quick as that they had it gone,” she said.
What followed must have been 40 kilometres of horror for Babe.
Debbie said the family was distraught, sick with worry about Babe.
They’d called the RNC and put out a plea on Facebook. The phone rang off the hook with tips and calls of concern and within a couple of hours, Debbie, her other son Ryan and his wife, Candace, raced to the crash scene.
“I was shaking,” Debbie said. “I didn’t see the car first for all the police cars. I ran to the dog first to be honest. Then when we looked down (the car was) on its side over by the woods. What did she go through? Oh, my poor husband was weak when we got home.”
Babe goes everywhere with her husband Monty, and even talks to him in her doggie way.
The whole family is devoted to Babe.
After the death of their last pet, Debbie had said no more dogs, because the grief was just too hard.
But then three years ago this summer came Babe, a rescue dog.
“I wouldn’t part with her for the world,” Debbie said, adding Babe is about five or six now.
Thankful
She’s grateful to the people who took Babe in the backseat of their car. Another woman had placed her jacket around Babe’s collar to keep her from going out on the road.
The scene was horrifying — glass broke in the car, airbags exploded.
The family’s thoughts were of how much the dog went through and how lucky she was to survive, trapped in the backseat with a group or car-jacking strangers racing over the road.
Debbie is also thankful to those who called or posted information after the car was stolen.
“My dear, the response was unbelievable,” Debbie said. “Within no time.”
One woman reported she saw the car flying past.
Debbie said her son, Colin was up all night keeping an eye on the dog.
After the year-old car was stolen, the family’s No. 1 concern was Babe.
“My god I hope they don’t throw her out on the road … I was walking the floor and the young fellow (Colin) was throwing up. He was a state,” Debbie said of the worry before police finally called with the outcome.
“That was our biggest fear — to do with her. She is such a good dog.”
When they brought Babe home, she perked up at the sight of the house.
“She knew she was home again. Her nose was up and she was looking out the window,” Debbie said.
Reports from the scene indicate the driver lost control and crashed the car when they apparently spotted an RCMP vehicle on the side of the road.
The RCMP had been notified by the RNC of the theft and were on the lookout for the stolen vehicle.
The family told The Telegram Monday night they were told by police that the car was involved in a hit and run even before the crash in Tors Cove.
An RNC officer arrived at the crash scene to take custody of the female teen from the RCMP.
At least one of the three people in the car was taken to hospital for what appear to be non-life-threatening injuries, initial reports indicated.
Const. Geoff Higdon, spokesman for the RNC, said Tuesday that a 17-year-old girl faces charges of theft of a vehicle, dangerous operation of a vehicle and failure to stop.
Police received the initial report a blue Kia was stolen just after 5 p.m. Monday, June 11.
The several-page police report indicated that at 5:45 p.m., a vehicle with the same plate number hit a truck on Columbus Drive. There were no injuries and moderate damage to the truck.
Police caught sight of the stolen car a little after 6 p.m. in the Old Placentia Road/Ruby Line area headed for the Robert E. Howlett Highway and attempted to stop the driver.
As the stolen vehicle was travelling at a high rate of speed, the pursuit was quickly called off, Higdon said.
As the car headed out of RNC jurisdiction, the RCMP were alerted.
The RNC was then informed of the accident around 6:45 p.m.
The investigation is ongoing.
A GoFundMe account has been started for the vet bills — Baby's medical expense (A2NDChance).
With files from Keith Gosse
