A dog that survived a semi tractor-trailer crash near Pierceton Friday was reunited with her owner’s wife Saturday.
Officers and emergency personnel responded at 12:23 p.m. Friday to a 911 call of a single-vehicle, semi tractor-trailer crash on U.S. 30, east of Ind. 13, according to a release from Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.
The semi truck had crashed into a vacant building after crossing the median and the oncoming lane. Driver Mark Phillip Sikorski, 45, Forest Park, Ill., was found dead in the wreckage.
Sikorski’s dog was found alive inside the mangled semi cab and was taken by Kosciusko County Animal Control to Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County.
During an interview this morning Darla McCammon, Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County executive director, said Sikorski’s wife, Terri, picked up the dog, Coco, one year old, Saturday at AWL.
“The dog was covered in blood and shattered pieces of glass and had several cuts and abrasions and we cleaned it up and kept holding it because it was terrified,” McCammon said.
McCammon said they took the dog Friday into Animal Hospital of Warsaw to get it checked out, and it received a clean bill of health.
Mike Wilson, Kosciusko County coroner, said the owner was excited to see the dog when she came Saturday.
“She couldn’t say enough how everyone treated them including law enforcement, the coroner’s office and the AWL,” Wilson said.
McCammon said the dog and owner were happy to be reunited.
“She was very happy they had given the dog a bath, taken it to the vet and got the glass out of its hair.”
“The dog was thrilled to see her,” McCammon said.
She said the AWL received hundreds of calls from people wanting to adopt the dog.
“It’s wonderful we have such a compassionate community and I was thrilled to hear people wanted to help,” McCammon said.
Wilson said an autopsy on Sikorski has been completed but is inconclusive. The case is still under investigation.
(Story By The Times Union)
