A heartwarming reunion took place on Thursday as Miles Heagy and his dog, Rowdy, were reunited following a traumatic accident caused by an alleged drunk driver.
The crash occurred on the evening of May 6, 2025, when 68-year-old Sheila Acker reportedly drove through fencing on the Hilltop Drive overpass above Interstate 5, slamming into Heagy’s semi-truck and causing it to spin out and overturn onto the driver’s side. Emergency responders extricated Heagy and Rowdy from the wreck, with Heagy taken to Mercy Medical Center and Rowdy transported to Haven Humane Society.
“I’ve had Rowdy since he was a tiny puppy,” Heagy shared. “He’s my best friend, and he goes everywhere with me.” Despite being offered a wheelchair for his recovery, Heagy insisted on walking on his own to retrieve his beloved dog.
Heagy’s fiancée, Debbie Dawson, expressed how difficult the last two days had been for Heagy, noting that it was one of the longest times they had been apart from Rowdy. “We missed Rowdy so much,” she said. “He was so sad yesterday when I told him we needed to rest for the night.”
Rowdy was safely rescued by Animal Control Officer Sashelle Mitchell, who crawled into the overturned semi-truck to find the dog. The staff at Haven Humane Society provided Rowdy with free food, water, medical care, and a collar and leash during his stay.
After hearing the news of the accident, Debbie and her sister drove 10 hours from the Tri-Cities area in Washington to be with Heagy. “I cried most of the way here,” Debbie recalled. “I didn’t calm down until I spoke with him at the hospital.”
Heagy and Rowdy both sustained matching black eyes from the crash, but their reunion marked a moment of relief in their challenging recovery. The two will now focus on resting and recuperating at home in the coming weeks.
As of Thursday, Sheila Acker remained in custody with a $50,000 bail. She had not yet been arraigned but was previously convicted of drunk driving in 2021.
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