Car crash occurs in Jefferson City after woman tries to save loose dog

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A crash occurred Friday in the 4000 block of Highway 50 in Jefferson City after a woman tried to save a loose dog.

According to a crash report from the Jefferson City Police Department, a woman described as a witness saw a dog running loose on the highway and pulled her vehicle onto the shoulder of the westbound lanes, and tried to get the dog out of road.

The woman then heard the screeching tires and the sound of a crash, the report states.

The driver of a 2019 Ford Fiesta – driven by Jennifer Ringwald, 37, of Jefferson City – allegedly told police that she slowed down and was trying to move to the passing lane to avoid the dog and the woman, the report states. The Ford was then rear-ended by a 2014 Kia Optima – driven by Tarrin Cantlon, 30, of Jefferson City.

Cantlon allegedly told police that he looked away from the road to check his vehicle’s temperature gauge because of overheating issues, the report states. When he looked up, he saw the Ford stopped in the driving lane, tried to stop the Kia, but ended up hitting the Ford.

The report states that Cantlon had minor injuries and that his 1-year-old passenger had no injuries. Cantlon was wearing a seatbelt and the baby was in a child restraint, the report says.

The report says Ringwald was brought to a hospital in Columbia so her injuries could be evaluated, but the severity of the injuries was not listed in the report. The report does not say if she was wearing a seatbelt.

ABC 17 News reached out to the Jefferson City Police Department about the status of the dog.