Girl trying to save sick pet dies in stolen car crash

Sometimes, the news I find is just sad.

A 15-year-old girl died Tuesday in a dramatic, ill-advised, effort to save her cancer-stricken dog from euthanasia.

Taylor Mae Stinchcomb, 15, died trying to prevent her dog from being euthanized.

Taylor Mae Stinchcomb, 15, died trying to prevent her dog from being euthanized.

According to an article in the Chicago Sun Times, Taylor Mae Stinchcomb, 15, stole her family’s 2003 Dodge minivan and fled her Chicago-area home with her ill dog, Romulus, and a female friend, also 15.

When Taylor became too upset to drive, her unnamed friend took the wheel. Moments later, the friend lost control of the vehicle and crashed into several trees and a telephone pole.

The dog was thrown from the vehicle and died immediately. Taylor died of her injuries at a local hospital. The driver escaped almost without a scratch.

Drugs or alcohol were not a factor in the crash, police said.

Police are not sure where the girls were headed or what they planned to do.

Taylor picked the dog out while visiting an animal shelter on her 13th birthday.

A high school freshman, Taylor is survived by two sisters, a brother and her parents, Bill and LeeAnn Stinchcomb.

95 comments Add your comment

DarkBrown

June 24th, 2011
3:36 pm

I am admittedly not an animal lover. However, I am a dog owner and a very responsible one at that. We walk her once, oftentimes twice a day. She is vaccinated, spayed and micro-chipped. We take her to be groomed regular, to obedience classes and we feed her the *expensive* dog food, mixed with the proper wet to dry ratio. Although she is a pit/lab mix and on the large side, she is a house dog – house and crate trained.

All that being said, she is just an animal. I do not value animal lives over human life as a rule. I do understand that sometimes, there are exceptions.

Animals are better than you will ever be

June 24th, 2011
3:36 pm

@flfnstf, you don’t love animals so shut your mouth. You are the reason ppl choose to love pets more because your stupidity outweighs anything else. So please keep you brownish points for your “I love animals” quote. She was 15, so what’s your excuse? Do everyone a favor and leave this country, every animal and human will be better off.

Animals are better than you will ever be

June 24th, 2011
3:49 pm

@Dark Brown, you are a liar. You do none of those things for your dog aka animal. Nothing in this tragic story has anything to do with regard for choosing one species life over another. You are incapable of loving anything. I feel sorry for your dog, Mike Vick said the same BS as you. Your name alone speaks volumes about your level of intelligence. You just left off the last part-CRAP! DARK BROWN CRAP.

Animalsarebelowpeople

June 24th, 2011
6:37 pm

Oh, some people don’t like animals so they have to shut their mouths? Animal lovers are just like Christians, forever convinced they are right and won’t listen to anyone else. As for the girl, she deserved it for being so rash and impulsive. I’ve had pets before, I know what if feels like when they die. I won’t jack my parents car and go on a highway to nowhere to save my them. As for the girl’s friend, wow, just wow. I fear for humanity.

Animals are better than you will ever be

June 24th, 2011
9:46 pm

You are the only thing below people. You are the only humanity to fear. You are wasted space.

Animals are better than you will ever be

June 24th, 2011
9:48 pm

As for your pets that you HAD?? their the lucky now now huh!

Proud to be an American

June 25th, 2011
3:01 pm

As a coach of girl’s softball for high school, I can easily see the thoughts running around in this girl’s head. Very emotional at that age. This is certainly a tragedy, especially for the girl who walked away without a scratch. She was probably just trying to help a friend in need and now has to live with the consequences for the rest of her life.

That being said, I now want to thank DAL and the other “negative” commentors in this thread. With the fourth of July approaching, it reminds me that we live in an AWESOME country and that we owe a lot, not only to our ancestors who fought for our freedoms, but for the soldiers giving their lives for our rights. This includes our right to free speech, whether or not it’s idiotic, moronic, religious, compassionate, or whatever. The right to debate whether is was “stolen” or “taken without permission”. The right to thump that bible.

So thanks, DAL. Continue to be your childish self. More power to you. Keep yelling from the treetops, maybe no one will notice the tiny brain and the other tiny things you possess. The men and women who are dying for your rights (and your right to abuse them as you see fit) don’t mind one bit.

I don’t agree with a word you say, but that’s ok. I have the right to express my opinion, as you do yours. And I’ll proudly shake the hand of every soldier I see thank them for their sacrifice. For the right for you to be a prick, and for me to call you one.

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Poor things

June 25th, 2011
3:49 pm

Poor little’ns. Looks like the dog was euthanized afterall… I shan’t expand on the any other’s early demise.

DarkBrown

June 27th, 2011
12:46 pm

“You are incapable of loving anything.”

Well…I certainly don’t love YOU. (lol)

John

June 27th, 2011
3:07 pm

Oh the irony! she ended up killing the dog instantly, and killing herself painfully. She deserves the darwin award of the week!