Dog killed by person driving stolen car in Salisbury, police say

SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) - A dog being walked by its owner was struck and killed by a stolen car over the weekend, according to Salisbury Police.

Authorities say it all started when a man drove his Nissan Altima to the O’Reilly’s auto parts store on Fairson Avenue in Salisbury just after 6 p.m. Sunday. The man parked his car but left the engine running when he walked into the store.

Minutes later, he said he saw a man driving the car out of the parking lot. As the victim was walking back toward his house, he spotted the car behind an apartment on South Link Street, according to law enforcement.

Police say the man approached the car and tried to pull the driver out of the front door. That’s when the driver hit the gas to try and leave.

Two men were walking in the area, one of whom was walking his dog. The men jumped on the front porch of an apartment to get out of the way, but the dog was struck by the car, authorities said. The car then hit the apartment building before the carjacker ran from the scene, according to a police report.

A witness told WBTV that shots were fired. Police confirmed that shell casings were found at the scene but no injuries were reported.

The man was described as having dreadlocks and wearing a blue hoodie. Anyone with information is asked to contact Salisbury Police at (704) 638-5333.