A border collie that crashed a Jeep into a parked car is still a "very good dog", her family say. But her naughty antics mean she will be no longer get to ride upfront - and will be banished to the boot for future trips.
Sue Brewer, 60, says pet pooch Freya was "absolutely fine" after the smash earlier this month. Sue said Freya, her daughter's dog, jumped into the front seat and knocked the automatic gearbox into 'drive' - sending the vehicle down the hill.
She added: “That day she took it into her head to jump into the driver's seat. Now she will be consigned to the dog cage in the boot."
Shaun Waller, 34, was working when he heard a bang outside his home in Gronant, north Wales. He went to investigate and saw his neighbour's Jeep Cherokee had collided with his parked car.
Shaun, a senior analyst, then went to watch his doorbell footage back - and saw that Freya had been at the wheel. Sue, a mum-of-two and gran-of-two, explained that the pet had accidentally put the car in gear.
She said: “My dog was in the boot in her cage and I went to put Freya into the front passenger footwell where there’s a lead attached to the bottom of the seat. She took matters into her own hands, jumped into the driver's seat and knocked the automatic gearbox into drive.
“The car was parked on a slope – it began to roll and crashed into the car opposite."
Shaun said he and his partner found the incident hilarious and are not bothered about the damage. But Sue said: "My car is fine really, it’s just a cracked bumper. It's a Jeep Cherokee so it’s very sturdy has got a lot of weight in it.
“My neighbour's car may possibly be a write off though. I did swear at Freya at the time which I shouldn’t have done. I got her out the car and got her where she should be, so I could move the car. She didn’t know she’d done anything wrong.”
Sue said her daughter was relieved that no one was hurt in the incident. And she added that Freya is still a "very good dog".
Sue said: "She's a very good dog, she’s marvellous with the children and she’s a really great family dog. My daughter [who owns Freya] was very surprised and glad me and the dog were alright.
“My other daughter sent me a photo of her partner sat with the Star on the front page in York.”
Shaun said: "I work from home and I was working as normal when I heard some commotion going on outside. “I looked out the window and saw my neighbour’s car had rolled down their driveway and jack-knifed into my car.
“Me and my partner were in hysterics laughing – it's an old car so we weren’t too bothered about the damage.”
