Dakota - RIP

[Brandie]

I used to see this guy and his faithful friend all the time on the way home... I will not be seeing them anymore


nna Jones was in her kitchen cooking supper Tuesday night when her husband, Danny, began putting the leash on his 2-year-old Rottweiler, Dakota, and headed for the door.

They would be back, he said, in 15 minutes. She smiled as the two bounded toward the sidewalk on Mariner Boulevard.

But when Danny Jones did not return after a half-hour, Inna began to worry. A few minutes later, she called a friend and asked if he would go looking for Danny. Not long after, she answered a knock and was met at the front door by a law enforcement officer.

Neither Danny Jones, 58, nor Dakota would be coming home, she was told.

Up the road, the bodies of Danny and his dog lay near the intersection of Mariner and Norvell Road. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, about 8:10 p.m., Jones and his dog had been attempting to cross Mariner about three blocks north of Jones' home when they were struck by a southbound 2003 GMC Yukon driven by Susan H. Counihan, 39, of Spring Hill.

Danny Jones and Dakota were pronounced dead at the scene. Counihan suffered minor injuries, the patrol said.

News of her husband's death devastated Inna Jones, who reluctantly agreed to answer a reporter's questions Wednesday afternoon. Married less than six months, she struggled to comprehend the tragedy.

Inna Jones, who is from Ukraine and speaks limited English, conveyed her sadness tearfully.

"It is my worst day," she said. "My heart - is broken."

Though struck by sadness, Inna Jones tried to focus on the good times, too. She remembered taking trips to the beach for ice cream shortly after she met her husband. She said he "was a very good man."

According to his wife, Danny Jones was a Vietnam veteran and recently retired from the Army. She said that he got Dakota as a pup and that he had devoted many hours to training him.

In fact, the two were practically inseparable, with Dakota eagerly hopping into Danny Jones's truck for rides. Walks around the neighborhood were also a regular regimen.

However, knowing that the two often walked along busy Mariner Boulevard worried Inna Jones.

"The cars go too fast. It made me very nervous," she said.

The stretch of Mariner Boulevard near Jones' house between Elgin and Landover boulevards is prone to crashes, especially since the road was widened a few years ago.

Though there are sidewalks on both sides of the road, the 45 mph speed limit makes it treacherous territory for anyone wishing to cross the four lanes of traffic.

In November, 79-year-old Ann Lenardi died after she was struck by one vehicle and run over by another as she tried to cross Mariner at Chalmer Street at night.

Authorities said that Jones was apparently in the outside lane of Mariner when he and his dog were killed. No charges have been filed in the crash.

Inna Jones said she knows her husband is in a better place. And he's with his faithful companion.

"Danny was a very good man and he loved his dog," she said. "They are happy together."

[livertw]

How awfully sad. The poor wife has an amazingly positive attitude.

[Ilovemypuppy]

Just when you can't imagine a worse nightmare..here is one :( Words fail me why things like this ever happen.