Alexandria family seeks driver who hit their dog on Commonwealth Avenue

A red sedan struck a dog on Commonwealth Avenue in Del Ray and fled the scene.

The collision occurred on Oct. 23. The driver did not stop. The car nearly struck Amanda Trotenberg, who was walking the dog. She is eight months pregnant.

Asher, a three-year-old terrier, sustained three broken ribs and fractures in his leg and knee. He is currently recovering in a veterinary emergency room. Video from the clinic shows him watching cartoons while wearing a cone. He must wear the cone for several more weeks.

Trotenberg described the moment of impact as a nightmare. She recalled watching the car roll over after hitting the animal. “It was awful,” she said. “It’s been keeping me up at night, it’s something I will never forget, that image in my head of watching a car hit my dog and roll over.”

The owner hopes the driver will be identified. She wants the person who caused the crash to understand the risks of speeding. “Calm down and drive slower,” she said. “You hit a dog, you nearly hit a pregnant woman. I think there’s a lot we can do to make that intersection safer, too.”

News4 reports at least four other collisions have occurred at that intersection in the past ten years. Three involved rear-end crashes. One involved a car hitting a pedestrian. Trotenberg believes the location needs improvement.

Trotenberg has owned Asher for two years. She found him abandoned on Ash Street, dehydrated and exhausted. She named him after the street. She is excited for him to meet her unborn baby. News4 asked Alexandria police if they have surveillance footage from the night of the crash. The department has not yet responded.