The afternoon was supposed to be a regular, leisurely walk to park for Shiva the cockapoo. Instead, a car accident resulted in a tragic loss and heartbreak for an Oakville couple.
Now, Shiva's owners are sharing the story as a cautionary tale for drivers, hoping to prevent this happening to anyone else, including both pedestrians and drivers.
On Monday, Dec. 9, 2024 at approximately 4:40 p.m, Atul Shah and his wife were walking their dog, Shiva. Both the Shahs and the 6.5 year-old cockapoo were crossing the intersection at Nottinghill Gate and Pilgrims Way, with plans to take a quick walk to the nearby Nottinghill Gate Park in Oakville.
As they were crossing, Shah says that a young driver in a Ram pickup truck was turning left from Pilgrims Way onto Nottinghill Gate, towards the intersection that they were crossing.
Mr. Shah says they had the right of way after pressing the crosswalk button. Both he and Halton Police describe the driver as a 17-year-old male.
"I saw this guy is coming really fast," Mr. Shah said about the driver. "I figured in my mind that this person could not stop because of the speed that he was going at. So I waved at the guy to slow down."
Mr. Shah says the police motor vehicle collision report indicated that the driver was travelling at approximately 50 km per hour making the turn, which he believes is too fast to make a 90 degree left turn.
The truck struck Shiva and his wife Sangita Shah, Mr. Shah says, who also reportedly missed him by inches.
Despite Mr. Shah rushing Shiva to the nearby vet, Abbey Animal Hospital, Shiva died of head trauma, which police and Mr. Shah say was directly caused from being struck by the vehicle. Sangita Shah sustained a fractured left wrist and tibia plateau, and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The Shahs had adopted Shiva at eight weeks after their retirement, and he had become the centre of their lives.
"He was the most loving little guy," Mr. Shah said when asked about his and his wife's dog. "He loved meeting people, he was a star on the street. He loved to play endlessly. Our whole life revolved around him."
Halton Police say that the driver has been charged with careless driving. According to Shah, the driver also had a G2 license, and said that he couldn't see the pedestrians crossing, due to his car being fogged up.
"If his car was 'fogged up', why he was on the road and why he was driving is beyond us," Mr. Shah said.
Currently, the Shahs are considering whether to pursue further legal action.
"There is not enough money that will bring our baby back," Mr. Shah said. "He gave us the best six and a half years of our life."
For now though, Mr. Shah hopes that this incident is a cautionary tale for drivers, especially young drivers.
"My mind keeps running," he said. "I keep on seeing this accident all the time. I wonder, if I was a parent of a 17 year old teenager, why would even I let my kid drive a big Ram truck?"