How tragic! Our pack sends our condolences to the Hudgins family.
Thanks to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for this article.
Ellena Hudgins, 69, died saving beloved dog
By BETH WARREN
The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 09/16/07
Dunwoody resident Ellena Hudgins couldn’t save her daughter, but she was able to save her puppy by sacrificing her own life.
Mrs. Hudgins, 69, died Thursday night after she darted across I-85 in South Carolina to rescue her coal-colored pug, Shadow. South Carolina officials believe the dog jumped out of the car after Mrs. Hudgins pulled over to the emergency lane at about 10:30 p.m. to let her dog relieve himself and to close the top of her convertible after it had started to drizzle.
Mrs. Hudgins ran across a couple of lanes, scooped up her pooch and turned to head back to her car when she was struck by an SUV, Anderson County deputy coroner Don McCown said. Hudgins died at the scene. Shadow, who was flung to the pavement, suffered a busted chin and a dislocated hip.
The victim’s husband, Sam Hudgins, 74, hurried to Anderson County and broke down in tears when he saw Shadow’s injuries, thinking back to how he had urged his wife to put the puppy on his leash.
“If Ellena had just listened to me, that could have been prevented and she would be alive,” he said Saturday through tears when talking about his wife since 1955.
The Hudgins’ youngest daughter, who suffered from mental illness but refused her parents’ urging to take medication, took her own life about 10 years ago.
News of Mrs. Hudgins’ accident quickly spread and South Carolina residents donated more than enough money to pay for Shadow’s surgery, the deputy coroner said. “We can’t bring his wife back, but we can probably take care of the little dog and get them back together,” McCown said.
