Car hits cop; puppy blamed

A woman said her rambunctious puppy caused her to lose control of her car and hit an off-duty Seattle police officer Tuesday afternoon as he directed traffic in Interbay.

The accident happened around construction near the Magnolia Bridge onramp.

The officer, 57, was taken to Harborview Medical Center, a police spokeswoman said. The officer, whose name was not released, is a 26-year veteran of the department. He suffered leg and neck injuries, which a hospital spokeswoman described as not life-threatening.

Just before 2 p.m., a Dodge sedan traveling south veered and struck the officer, who was flagging at a street improvement project near the intersection of 15th Avenue West and West Galer Street, police said. The woman, who was visibly distraught after speaking with a police investigator, said her name is Hilary Dutton.

Dutton said she was on her way to a Department of Licensing Office to pick up plates for her new car.

She'd just made a right turn from the bridge onto Elliott Avenue, she said, when "my dog started to mosey over to the window and she stepped on the wheel and made it jerk."

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