Dog escapes SC crash that killed his loving owner. It led to a ‘bittersweet’ reunion
A dog escaped a crash that killed his doting owner — then came a “bittersweet” reunion.
Brandon Nesmith — a 31-year-old from Fayetteville, Georgia — loved spending time with his dogs Ranger and Dozer.
“From what we understand, he took his dogs everywhere with him,” Tiffany Hoffman, shelter manager at the Berkeley Animal Center in South Carolina, told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
So, it’s no surprise that Nesmith’s two pups were in tow as he drove March 31 on Interstate 26. He was behind the wheel when his pickup truck hit a car and veered off the road, according to South Carolina troopers and the Berkeley County Coroner’s Office.
Nesmith was taken to a Charleston-area hospital, where he died from crash-related injuries. But at the scene, officials discovered that his beloved dog Ranger survived the crash and spotted him fleeing, Hoffman said.
The sighting sparked a dayslong search for Ranger before he eventually was reunited with Nesmith’s loved ones.
“The fact that we could reunite them with this dog and give them a piece of their family back was just amazing for us,” Hoffman said.
The reunion was made more emotional with the knowledge that the shelter tried to save Nesmith’s other pet, Dozer. That dog was found with several injuries at the crash site and had to be euthanized, officials said.
Berkeley Animal Center was concerned Ranger might also have been hurt in the wreck and spread the word about him. Hoffman said the shelter contacted a local volunteer, and it shared a photo of the black and white dog online.
“Ranger ran away from the scene after the accident and now the deceased’s family is desperate to get their sweet pup back,” the center wrote April 3 on Facebook.
Among the community members rallying to help look for Ranger was Kerri Lyons, who told WXIA she put up flyers near the crash site. In a Facebook post, she wrote that a team also set up a camera and a trap before the missing dog was captured.
“I think I can speak for everyone involved to say that we were beyond relieved to see him walk in,” Lyons told WXIA.
The shelter said Ranger was found “tired and dirty” in a patch of woods but wasn’t injured. Then it was time for Nesmith’s family friend to pick up the dog, possibly to return him to relatives.
“It was bittersweet to see them come in and be reunited with their son, their friend’s dog that he just absolutely adored,” Hoffman said.
After the reunion, dozens of people flocked to Facebook to express their relief that Ranger was found safe.
“So glad he’s been found,” one person commented on the shelter’s page. “Prayers for the family as they grieve the loss of a loved one!”
Berkeley County is roughly 25 miles northwest of Charleston. A Facebook user believed to be Lyons didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment April 11.
This story was originally published April 12, 2023 at 8:49 AM with the headline "Dog escapes SC crash that killed his loving owner. It led to a ‘bittersweet’ reunion."
