Amanda Trotenberg was walking her dog along Commonwealth Avenue in Del Ray on Oct. 23 when she said a red sedan struck the terrier, nearly hit her and continued without stopping. Trotenberg was eight months pregnant.
Asher, a 3-year-old terrier, survived with three broken ribs and fractures to his leg and knee. He was taken to a veterinary emergency room and, at the time of the family’s public appeal, was recovering but expected to wear a cone for several more weeks.
The Alexandria family was searching for the driver, but significant questions remained unanswered. Alexandria police had not responded to a News4 inquiry about possible surveillance recordings by the time the account of the collision was published.
No later information establishes whether police received a formal report, found surveillance material, identified the sedan or located its driver. There also has been no verified update on Asher’s mobility, prognosis or continuing care beyond his initial recovery and expected time in a cone.
Earlier collisions and broader safety work
The collision also drew attention to traffic safety at the location. News4 identified at least four other collisions at the same intersection during the preceding decade: three rear-end crashes and one in which a vehicle struck a pedestrian.
Those findings provide limited historical context, but they do not establish a complete collision record or show that each event had the same cause. No completed or proposed safety change specific to the Commonwealth Avenue intersection was identified in the available information.
Alexandria does have a broader traffic-safety program. The city adopted its Vision Zero policy and action plan in 2017 with a goal of eliminating fatal and severe crashes by 2028.
The city also secured a $600,000 federal planning grant to update that plan. The work is intended to include updated crash analysis, road safety audits of as many as three corridors and a tool for identifying high-risk locations, according to meeting materials described in reporting on the grant. The information does not indicate whether this part of Commonwealth Avenue will be included.
What Virginia reporting law covers
Virginia law requires a driver involved in a collision that injures or kills a person to notify law enforcement immediately. A willful failure to make that required report is a Class 4 misdemeanor under the state’s accident-reporting statutes.
That provision cannot be applied to this case based only on the known facts. Trotenberg said the sedan nearly hit her, but there is no information that she suffered a physical injury. The same statutory article says a person involved in an accident causing property damage may submit a written report, but the material provided does not establish which charge, if any, could apply when a dog is struck.
Alexandria’s online system is limited to listed categories and does not automatically assign an officer to investigate every submission. The police reporting page directs emergencies to 911 and explains that certain nonemergency matters may be handled online or through telephone reporting.
For Trotenberg, the unresolved issue extends beyond Asher’s injuries. “Calm down and drive slower. You hit a dog, you nearly hit a pregnant woman. I think there’s a lot we can do to make that intersection safer, too,” she said.
Asher was recovering when the family appealed for information, but whether the driver will be identified remains unknown. The collision left the family caring for an injured dog while confronting how close the sedan came to Trotenberg and her unborn baby.
What would you do if your dog were in this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
By Sarah Mitchell — 8 years as a local-news reporter covering animal welfare, shelters, neighborhood disputes, and public-safety pet stories.
