Freak Accident Prompts Leash Law Meeting
Public asked to weigh in on possible new rule
By JESSICA GREENE
Updated 12:30 PM PST, Tue, Oct 27, 2009
San Jose could be the first city in the nation to pass a law addressing the issue of cyclists riding with leashed dogs.
City Councilwoman Nancy Pyle has arranged a meeting for Wednesday night to look into whether the city should be able to set rules for dog owners who ride bicycles with their four-legged friend leashed alongside them.
The discussion was prompted by a freak accident last month on the Los Alamitos Creek Trail.
Beverly Head, 62, was walking down the trail on Sept. 16 when a cyclist on a mountain bike rode by, pulling his two Siberian Huskies alongside him on their leashes. One of the leashes got caught behind Head's legs, causing her to fall on the ground and hit her head. She was rushed to a hospital and had emergency surgery but the trauma to her brain was so severe, she died.
Pyle said she has been getting emails and calls about the possibility of a law since the the freak accident.
Wednesday's meeting is open to the public.
"This is such an emotional issue," Pyle told the Mercury News, "we just want to hear from the people."
Photo by Bruce Turner
First Published: Oct 27, 2009 11:29 AM PST
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