Run over pets...

[Chaos Descending]

Sorry, SVD, but it seems that you are guilty of violating California's "Hit and Run" statute.

http://www.4mrticket.com/hit-and-run.html

Leaving the scene of an accident is considered hit and run in California. This accident can involve another car, an unattended vehicle, another person, a pedestrian, an animal, any private or governmental property, such as a mail box or parking meter, and so on. Even if you were not at fault, leaving the scene of accident without providing necessary information to the other parties, or providing help to the injured in case of an injury, is considered hit and run.

You will be charged with vehicular manslaughter or homicide if you leave the scene of accident and the victim dies. If an animal dies during the hit and run you will be charged with animal abuse.

Also, you basically admitted to this crime publicly, and your post may be considered evidence.

 

[Bob Karo]

Wow... cultural differences.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Good. Normally I think California law is stupid, but that looks like a very sound one to me. I especially like how it says even if the other party is at fault. So yeah, the animal owner should've kept their animal on a leash, but that is explicitly not a defense against the animal cruelty charge.

 

[Trekker4747]

Depending on the county, city, or state the dog's owner could be "more at fault" since the dog was probably supposed to be on a leash or otherwise not just running around whilly-nilly where it could, you know, get hit by cars.

What about kids? I freak out just about every time I drive through my neighborhood because the kids are always playing in the streets, and there are never any parents in sight. These kids are usually oblivious to me, and I am terrified that I am going to hit one of them someday. I think the parents need to keep their damn children on leashes, tethered to their front porch.

Kids are people, "pedestrians" if you will who always have the right way "jay walking" or not.

Pets? Not so much.

 

[RoJoHen]

Yeah, I get that, but I would have to assume that a parent could also be at fault for negligence if they allowed their child to be in the street when a car was coming.

 

[RAMA]

Depending on the county, city, or state the dog's owner could be "more at fault" since the dog was probably supposed to be on a leash or otherwise not just running around whilly-nilly where it could, you know, get hit by cars.

What about kids? I freak out just about every time I drive through my neighborhood because the kids are always playing in the streets, and there are never any parents in sight. These kids are usually oblivious to me, and I am terrified that I am going to hit one of them someday. I think the parents need to keep their damn children on leashes, tethered to their front porch.

I've noticed over the last few years, driving over side roads...that parents no longer teach their kids to avoid cars and move to the side of the road...not when crossing mind you, but walking or doing just about anything else near the road. When did such stupidity become commonplace I wonder?

RAMA

 

[Trekker4747]

Eh, I think the California specifics in the law applying to punishment for striking an animal, leaving the scene of an animal hit, is wishy-washy hippie nonsense on the lines of "animals are people too!"

Animals, well, are stupid. They're going to run around wherever and have no idea that a car is a 2-ton mass of plastic and steel moving at 30 miles an hour that can obliterate them in any moment.

People are also not likely to react or swerve to miss an animal in the street as opposed to a person doing the same thing, animals also move quicker and more erratically and are far less predictable than a person is.

If you see kids playing on the side of the street you know to beware because they might unexpected run into the street to chase a ball because that's the stupid stuff kids do. You can't predict for a dog you're not aware of darting in front of your car out of an owner's home.

If a domesticated animal is hit by a car, it's my opinion, it's all on the animal owner's head for not controlling the animal or keeping it on a leash. Sure there's times when maybe a driver could have done something but callously chose not to but at the same time people aren't going to react the same way towards an animal as opposed to a person or child.

Citing someone who hits an animal with his car with "animal cruelty" and "leaving the scene of an accident" strikes me as a bit harsh. Aren't there more important crimes for California's police forces to handle than someone running over Rover who should have been on a leash anyway? No wonder the state is going bankrupt.

 

[Bob Karo]

Yeah, I get that, but I would have to assume that a parent could also be at fault for negligence if they allowed their child to be in the street when a car was coming.

In some situations, absolutely. There are many cases where a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle and the driver is not at fault.

 

[Chaos Descending]

In regards to the animal angle, please note that HITTING the animal isn't what screws you, it's LEAVING the scene that screws you.

 

[RoJoHen]

Depending on the county, city, or state the dog's owner could be "more at fault" since the dog was probably supposed to be on a leash or otherwise not just running around whilly-nilly where it could, you know, get hit by cars.

What about kids? I freak out just about every time I drive through my neighborhood because the kids are always playing in the streets, and there are never any parents in sight. These kids are usually oblivious to me, and I am terrified that I am going to hit one of them someday. I think the parents need to keep their damn children on leashes, tethered to their front porch.

I've noticed over the last few years, driving over side roads...that parents no longer teach their kids to avoid cars and move to the side of the road...not when crossing mind you, but walking or doing just about anything else near the road. When did such stupidity become commonplace I wonder?

RAMA

I have literally had to roll down my window and yell at kids to get out of my way. People park on the side of my street, so there isn't always a lot of room to maneuver. Most of these kids give me the dirtiest looks, like I'm ruining their lives by making them move over for the 5 seconds it'll take me to pass. I always look around to see if there are any adults present keeping an eye on the kids, and there never are. The only adults I ever see are a couple guys in dirty wifebeaters drinking a case of cheap beer on their porch in the middle of the day. I sincerely hope they aren't the parents.

 

[brian577]

Citing someone who hits an animal with his car with "animal cruelty" and "leaving the scene of an accident" strikes me as a bit harsh. Aren't there more important crimes for California's police forces to handle than someone running over Rover who should have been on a leash anyway? No wonder the state is going bankrupt.

I'm really getting sick of people using this excuse for everything. "it's trivial, therefore it doesn't matter"

 

[Mary Ann]

You hit a sentient creature, probably causing it great pain and distress, and didn't do anything to help it. You may not be guilty under the law, but that doesn't mean that your leaving the scene isn't repugnant. I sincerely hope you started this thread on the basis of feelings of guilt and not because you genuinely don't think you did anything morally wrong.

 

[RJDiogenes]

How can somebody leave an injured animal behind like that?

 

[Aldo]

How can somebody leave an injured animal behind like that?

For the longest time I had believed my previous cat was the victim of a hit and run. I believe differently now, but at the time I felt sick to think that someone could hit an animal and then just drive off, not even stopping to make sure it's OK or that the owner at least knows what happened.

 

[spooky spice]

If nothing else, a lot of people get very close/ attached to the animals, and even if it's just an animal to you, it may be the equivilant of seeing a family member getting run over for them.

And how.

Around here people see running over a cat as a sport, you regularly see cats splattered on the road, and quite often it's obvious the driver of the car swerved in order to hit the cat...

 

[Shazam!]

You are a terrible person

QFT

 

[Paradon]

People need to be careful and not their dog run loose...especially where there are speeding cars. I've seen a lot of that happening where I live because I live out in the country.

This sort of thing is really nobody's faults. People do some weird things...sometimes...and you are always going run into weird people that piss you off. That's why I said...you got to have a sense of humor about life in general. Kindda like little children...not taking things way too seriously. That's how children tries to deal with problems.

It's like what Mark Twain said: "If you try, you can endure anything." One way to deal to deal with all the garbage that is floating around is with humor. And, also, good food and beer, of course! Nothing brings people together like food.

 

[SmoothieX]

How can somebody leave an injured animal behind like that?

My feelings exactly.

If nothing else, a lot of people get very close/ attached to the animals, and even if it's just an animal to you, it may be the equivilant of seeing a family member getting run over for them.

And how.

Around here people see running over a cat as a sport, you regularly see cats splattered on the road, and quite often it's obvious the driver of the car swerved in order to hit the cat...

My cat somehow got out while we were loading up the car to go on vacation last week. We came home and found him dead in the yard. I'm not a cat person, and I really didn't like this cat in particular (my wife had him before we moved in to gether), and I still spent the night crying my eyes out.

Stuff like that makes me hope the driver gets eaten by that cat's 400 lb Bengal cousin.

 

[JoeZhang]

If nothing else, a lot of people get very close/ attached to the animals, and even if it's just an animal to you, it may be the equivilant of seeing a family member getting run over for them.

And how.

Around here people see running over a cat as a sport, you regularly see cats splattered on the road, and quite often it's obvious the driver of the car swerved in order to hit the cat...

I'm from a pigeon fancier (yes I've heard the gags before) area, cats don't last long - they are either poisoned or thrown in the canal in a sack.

 

[SmoothieX]

I think mine was poisoned. He was fat enough to last for days without food, there's standing water in the park next door, the temperature was moderate while we were away, and he showed no signs of attack. Plus he had a mouthful of grass when we found him.

He could have just lapped up a puddle of antifreeze, but some assholes actively put out poison to get rid of cats.