Irate Driver Kills Woman’s Dog by Throwing It Into Traffic

In what police call a bizarre incident of road rage, an infuriated driver grabbed a lap dog from another car and hurled it into oncoming traffic, killing the beloved family pet.

Sara McBurnett, owner of the 10-year-old bichon frise named Leo, said the attack occurred after a fender bender in heavy traffic near the San Jose airport.

“I just tapped his bumper,” McBurnett told the San Jose Mercury News.

The driver of the other car, a black sport utility vehicle with Virginia license plates, stormed back and began berating McBurnett. When she opened her window to respond, he reached in, grabbed the small white dog by the collar, and threw it into three lanes of oncoming traffic.

“I’m not doing well,” a sobbing McBurnett said, relating the Feb. 11 incident. “I keep seeing his little body going under the car. He made a sound I’ve never heard before. My heart is broken. He was my baby.”

Police said they were pursuing the incident as a case of animal cruelty, and a $5,000 reward has been offered for tips leading to the arrest of the suspect, described as a white man in his 20s with a slight build and a goatee.

But without license plate numbers or any other identifying information, police said they needed a lucky break.

“I have to be honest. We don’t have a lot to go on here,” San Jose Police Sgt. Derek Edwards said.