State police are investigating an incident in which a trooper forgot two dogs were tied to his bumper and drove away, inflicting fatal injuries to one.
The accident happened Saturday at a roadblock set up at the ramp from 23rd Street to Interstate 787 in Watervliet.
James Terry was pulled over by state police at the roadblock and arrested for allegedly driving with a suspended license and possessing a small amount of marijuana. He was also wanted on a warrant out of City Court.
While at the roadblock, Terry asked troopers to take his two Siberian huskies out of his pickup truck because it did not have air conditioning. After they did so, they tied the dogs to a police car, off the ramp and on the grass, in some shade. Terry then called his father to come pick them up.
After a half-hour had passed, the trooper was dispatched to a call and got in his car. The trooper drove six to 10 feet before realizing the dogs were still tied to the car.
“The movement of the vehicle forward in one case jerked the dog under the tire,” said state Police Capt. William Keeler.
The car in turn ran over the dog, breaking its two rear legs and pelvis. It was euthanized two days later. The other husky suffered no injuries.
“Ironically, they were initially doing the right thing by the dogs,” said Keeler. “But it turns out in one case they had to put the one dog down.”
The trooper returned to work immediately after the incident. The state police have since begun an investigation into the incident.
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