Community members calling for charges as driver hits family of geese in McCandless

By Jordan Cioppa

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    WEXFORD, Pa. (WTAE) — A car driving near a McCandless shopping center was captured on video running over a family of geese.

“I was doing my shopping, and I was, you know, loading up the car, and I saw some geese,” said Diane Bandy, of McCandless. “I thought they were really precious, and I also thought that they might be in peril.”

Bandy said on Sunday she took out her camera to record the family of geese, which included an adult and four goslings.

“I literally thought that by my filming them that I was protecting them. I literally thought nothing could happen on my watch. Nothing,” Bandy told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.

But right before her eyes, and the camera, a black SUV driving on Blazier Drive ran over the gaggle of geese.

“I couldn’t believe it. When I saw him coming, I’m like, ‘No he’s going to stop. He’s going to stop.’ It’s very obvious that there are five animals in front of him. Five living beings,” said Bandy. “I just knew he was going to stop, and then he revved up.”

Bandy screamed at the vehicle, but as shown in the video, the driver didn’t stop. She said one of the goslings died, and another is missing. The mother and two of the babies survived.

“They are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Act, which means that you aren’t allowed to just run over them because you feel like it,” said Rebecca Reid.

The video posted to social media spread fast and reached people like Reid. As a wildlife rescue volunteer who has a permit from the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, Reid said she wasn’t surprised when she heard about what happened.

She said she knows firsthand the lasting impacts something like this can have on the human witnesses and the injured geese.

“They’re very emotional birds. I know that might sound funny, talking about geese, but they are. We’ve had many instances of when a mated pair, when one of them gets killed on the road, the other one will just stay sometimes for weeks by the side of the road, grieving,” Reid said.

Outraged community members have been reaching out to police in hopes of holding the driver accountable.

“I immediately, while on my lunch break, called the McCandless police and said something needs to be done,” said Caroline Combemale, an animal advocate. “I gave them my name. I said I want to add my name to the list of people who wants charges brought against this person.”

On top of charges, Bandy said she wants to see the driver come forward and be transparent about the incident.

“It was intentional,” Bandy said.

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 called McCandless police, but we are still waiting to hear back.

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