Dog ejected from family car alerts trooper to site of rollover crash

LINCOLN, Maine (TND) — Maine State Police say it was a dog who helped alert a trooper to a nearby rollover crash, and that the dog had been ejected from one of the vehicles involved.

On Sunday, trooper Chris Pina was near a crossover on an interstate highway when he noticed a dog running through the lanes, MSP says in a Facebook post.

Pina got out of his vehicle and secured the dog, making sure it didn't reenter traffic. Initially, it's said that the trooper believed the dog was lost, as it was covered in mud and scratches.

While notifying dispatch about the pup, Pina reportedly noticed a man, standing on the side of the highway, and yelling for help. Pina, with the dog safely in his vehicle, turned on his emergency lights and went to investigate.

As MSP says, two vehicles had crashed nearby where Pina encountered his new canine friend. A maroon SUV and a green Rav 4 are said to be the two involved vehicles.

The driver of the green Rav 4 allegedly fell asleep at the wheel while traveling on the interstate, rear-ending the maroon SUV, MSP reports.

Both vehicles rolled several times after the collision. Two dogs were ejected from the maroon SUV.

One of the dogs ended up in the back of Trooper Pina's vehicle shortly after the crash. The other, a Doberman, reportedly went missing but has since been found safe.

The Doberman was recovered days later after being spotted on a hunting game camera in the area after police reported him missing.

It is not clear if anyone was injured as a result of the crash, but there are no reported injuries so far.