'Immediate family': Judge rules that a woman who witnessed her son's dog being mowed down by 'monster' driver can sue for emotional damages

Judge says dogs count as "immediate family"

Background: The Kings Supreme Court building in Brooklyn, N.Y. (Google Maps). Inset: Duke (@trevdeblase/Instagram).

A New York judge has ruled that dogs can be treated as members of someone”s “immediate family” and a dog’s family can sue for emotional damages if they witness the dog being harmed.

In a ruling issued by Judge Aaron Maslow of the Kings Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Tuesday, the family members of a 4-year-old dachshund named Duke can ask for emotional damages in their lawsuit against the driver who killed him. According to court documents obtained by New York City-based outlet Gothamist, Duke was fatally hit by a car nearly two years ago while he was being walked by 66-year-old Nan DeBlase, the mother of Trevor DeBlase, who adopted Duke.

Duke was on leash at the time, and the driver was reportedly speeding.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

In an interview with the New York Post, Nan DeBlase recounted the “traumatic” experience of seeing Duke run over on July 4, 2023, by a car driven by Mitchell Hill, whom the DeBlases sued. The incident was caught on surveillance cameras, and captured the moment that Hill failed to stop at a stop sign then made a left turn — without using his turn signal — onto the street where Nan DeBlase was walking Duke. Nan DeBlase was nearly hit herself, and she can be seen jumping out of the way of Hill’s vehicle.

But Duke was not so lucky. Nan DeBlase told the Post, “It was very traumatic, extremely. I mean, I was hysterical when it happened.”

She added, “I took a step to get out of the way of this monster, who not only ran a stop sign, but was making a turn. If you don’t see the stop sign, how do you see people? It was like he was driving with his eyes closed, and yet was able to make a left turn — I can’t even understand it.”

Trevor DeBlase posted later that day on his Instagram account, “A few hours ago a man blew a stop sign, almost hit my mother, and hit my poor, sweet Duke and killed him. I can’t even believe I am typing these words right now. I loved this dog more than life itself and things will never be the same without him.”

You May Also Like

'I will represent myself': Trump assassination suspect tells Cannon he wants to take on the government alone

Left: Ryan Wesley Routh (Law&Crime). Center: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon (U.S.…

Data Center Planned for 2028 in Palm Coast Cloaked in More Secrecy and Undocumented Boasts than Answers

An exploratory rig offshore of South 6th Street in Flagler Beach on…

'Mom is in the car': Man drove mother's corpse to sister's house covered in McDonald's wrappers and 'household goods,' DA says

Inset: Kevin Ahn (Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office). Background: Kevin Ahn in…

'All ya'll gonna learn today': Florida man told cops to 'check the text messages' after murdering woman in motel because he was mad his car was towed, cops say

Inset: Ronald Davis (Broward County Sheriff”s Office). Background: Plantation Motel in Plantation,…