SHORT PUMP, Va. -- A driver hit a gaggle of geese crossing West Broad Street in Short Pump, according to one witness who recorded the incident on her dash camera. The driver did not immediately stop after striking the birds, witness Natalie Wilson said.
Wilson, 25, said she was driving home after grocery shopping when she saw the geese waiting on the side of West Broad Street near Short Pump Town Center.
"They looked like children waiting to cross the street," she said.
When there was a break in traffic, Wilson said she saw the geese begin to cross.
Geese crossing West Broad Street in Short Pump
Some drivers, she said, slowed down to let the geese cross.
One driver did not and drove over the birds.
"It was so sad to see,"she said.
Wilson made a U-turn in an attempt to help the birds and get a clearer image of the driver on her dash cam.
By the time she got back to the scene, several birds laid dead or dying in the road.
When Wilson called 911, the dispatcher said Henrico Animal Control would respond to investigate.
"The investigation revealed that several lanes of traffic had stopped to apparently allow the geese to cross Broad Street. Another vehicle approached, and unsure why the traffic had stopped (and not seeing the geese) he proceeded into a different lane and ultimately struck and killed five of the geese," a Henrico Police spokesperson said. "The driver of the involved vehicle did stop and remained at the scene until police arrived. His explanation of events was corroborated by witnesses to include several that were stopped in traffic. The individual was not charged with an offense, and the remains of the geese were collected by the Animal Protection Officer."
The incident happened at about 4:54 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
Wilson maintains that the driver made no effort to slow down or change lanes.
"They just zoomed through them and made it through the light," Wilson said.
She also insisted that Henrico Animal Control did not follow up with other witnesses, including herself.
"A living thing was harmed here and there should be some repercussions for that, I'm not sure exactly what that should be but I'm sure there's some state code that could be followed there," she said.
Folks who work in Short Pump said they are used to seeing the geese in the area.
Witnesses can send news tips, photos, or video here.
NOTE: A previous version of the story indicated, via a witness report, that the driver involved did not stop following the incident. That has been updated.
