Amazon Delivery Driver Struck and Killed Dog on Maryland Couple's Driveway

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A Calvert County, Maryland, couple says an Amazon delivery driver ran over and killed their dog, then drove away without telling them.

Starr, was a 15-year-old Weimaraner who’d beaten the odds and was taken into a loving family.

“We rescued her at the age of 7, and she’s been with us ever since,” Danielle Von Oehsen said. “She was like one of our children.”

On Tuesday, Starr was in the yard as an Amazon delivery truck pulled in to the driveway. Home surveillance video shows the dog walk up to the truck.

“You can see the guy driving over her, or reversing over her and then coming back onto her again,” Harry Von Oehsen said.

The driver stopped momentarily.

“He actually went sideways out this way to miss her and then looked at her and then sped off right there,” Harry Von Oehsen said.

The Von Oehsens only realized what happened on their driveway after they couldn’t find Starr.

“Called her back in not even two minutes later and couldn’t find her,” Danielle Von Oehsen said.

“Then I went and looked in my truck and then came down here and I just saw her laying there,” Harry Von Oehsen said. “I just thought she fell over, but no, she was, like, laying there, barely breathing.”

He said that’s when he saw a package had been delivered, and the sad story started to come together.

“I was trying to keep her alive patting her, calming her down, and then I brought her in the garage trying to get her to be OK, and then she just died,” Harry Von Oehsen said.

They filed a report with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office and they reached out to Amazon.

“Amazon said that they were gonna give us $5 and give us a wind chime, and whenever the wind blows, we can remember the dog,” Harry Von Oehsen said.

“Our heart goes out to our customer and their family,” Amazon said in a statement to News4. “While nothing can replace the loss of a beloved pet, we have reached out to find out how we can support them during this difficult time and are working with the delivery service partner to investigate what happened.”

The sheriff’s office is still investigating.

The Von Oehsens now have a barrier at the end of their driveway.

“Because we do have another dog and now we’re very concerned that something like this can happen to our other dog, as well,” Danielle Von Oehsen said.

They set up an online fundraiser with the stated goal of raising money to advocate and file suit to get better protocols, procedures and even laws to protect children and animals on private property where packages are being delivered. They see it as a more fitting tribute to Starr than a wind chime.

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