We’ve all seen tragic headlines about a man being killed by his best friend. But this sad story out of the Sunshine State is truly bizarre: James Campbell died after his dog jumped into his van and landed on the vehicle’s accelerator.
The Associated Press reports that Campbell, 68, has just returned home with Iris Fortner, 56, who had backed up to the driveway of their Florida Panhandle home. Campbell got out and stepped behind the vehicle to open the gate, and Fortner opened the driver’s side door to see where he was. That's when her boxer bulldog reportedly jumped in, landing on the vehicle’s accelerator.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Fortner tried to stop the van, but Campbell was already trapped underneath it. He was pronounced dead at the scene by officials.
In separate but related news, a New Zealand rescue dog trainer who has been teaching dogs to “drive” cars captivated millions of viewers last month. In that case, the dogs were strapped into modified car sets and were trained to step on the accelerator and brake pedals when issued specific commands.