Teen Dies in Getaway With Dying Pooch

15-year-old Taylor Stinchcomb, dog Romulus killed in car accident
By Sarah Whitmire,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 23, 2011 1:23 PM CDT
Teen Taylor Stinchcomb Dies Trying to Save Sick Pet Dog
Taylor Stinchcomb and her friend may have been traveling up to 60 MPH in a winding patch of road when they crashed.   (Shutterstock)

An Illinois teenager’s attempt to stop her dog from being put down ended tragically early Tuesday in a rollover car accident, the Lake County News Sun reports. Taylor Stinchcomb, 15, and a friend ran away with Taylor’s sick Doberman in her parents' minivan, after learning the dog had cancer and would likely be put down. Taylor, too emotional to drive, gave the wheel to her 15-year-old friend— who lost control of the minivan. Not wearing a seatbelt, Taylor was pinned by the vehicle, and though she was awake and talking when paramedics arrive, died at a local hospital. Romulus, the Doberman Taylor had picked from a rescue shelter two years earlier, was thrown from the vehicle and killed.

The unnamed friend was buckled in at the time of the accident, and walked away from the crash. Police described her as “distraught and incredibly upset” as she tried to direct emergency crews to the scene of the crash. She has a learner’s permit, but faces tickets for speeding and driving without a license. (More Illinois stories.)

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